Falling From the Sky
by Emotive Gothika
Summary: And just as he was about to knock out his opponent for good, something white fell from the sky and did it for him. But it seems that bringing home that boy in white would forever change his life in more ways then one. 1827 Discontinued
1. Escape, Run, and Fall from the Sky

**A/N:** Finally! Here is my first multi-chapter KHR fic with an actual plot and setting. Yaoi of course because that is my pride, passion, and love! I hope you will all enjoy reading it as much as I will enjoy writing it! XD

**Pairings:** If you have read my profile (and know me real well), then you should know who my KHR OTP is. As for the other pairings… let them be a surprise ;)

**Genres:** Supernatural, Romance, other?

**Warning:** Some language, OOCs, violence, yaoi in later chapters, and some other things that the authoress can not point out at the moment…

**Disclaimer:** No… just no…

* * *

**Chapter I:**

**Escape, Run, and Fall from the Sky**

* * *

Cold.

That was all he felt and he was shivering heavily because of it. The chill of the night seeped through his aching muscles and into his very bones like needles, making him feel like a walking and talking stick of ice. Usually, he didn't mind the cold. His kind were okay with any kind of weather, just as long as it isn't too much of anything, but right now, in his weakened state, the simple coldness of the night was getting to him more then ever before.

He was weak. He hated to feel weak, to feel useless like in the times before he found out about his lineage. That was years ago of course and he had grown so much over that span of time, but it was his secret fear in reverting back to his weak and cowardly form. He never wanted to feel weak and useless again. But at least, this time, there was a reason as to why he was in that state. It was because he was hungry, deprived of the sustenance that his kind needed to survive. It had been days since his last Feed, maybe even weeks, and his body was reacting in ways that he didn't like. He didn't want to shiver from the trivial cold and he didn't want his muscles to ache yet flex instinctively when the thought of Feeding crossed his mind. He disapproved of Feeding the old way and had long ago given up doing so, so he didn't want to give in to his natural instincts now. Not only would it blow his cover hiding in the bushes on the forest floor, but it would also turn him into a mindless savage.

The only thing tying him down to the last shreds of his sanity was the thought of returning to his home, to his loving friends and family, all in one piece. He definitely wasn't going there in a body bag, or worse, multiple ones, maybe small ones.

Trying to calm his growing natural instincts, he held his breath and listened to the forest around him. Save for the whistling wind and rustling of leaves, nothing could be heard in the eerie silence. Of course, he could hear much better if he could just drown himself in some good ol' life liquid, but no such luck like that would happen anytime soon. Right now, his abilities dwindled to below average on the scale that his kind applied to, just nearing the average human level. But his abilities were still above the level of an ordinary human, so if he could just…

Something _zing-ed_ past his cheek and he reflexively jumped in surprise, causing him to roll out of the bush he was hiding in and show himself for the entire world to see.

"_There he is_!"

Or at least, for his stubborn pursuers to see.

"_Over here_!"

"_Capture him_!"

"_Bring him back to the boss in one piece_!"

Cursing every God known to man (and a few unknown to a majority of the human populace), the boy dressed in white shot through the forest, running faster then any human could go. His pursuers, a squadron of men adorned in white uniforms and wielding long staffs that emitted electricity at the ends, chased after the brunet boy who crashed through the undergrowth without any care for being quiet.

The squadron followed him, jumping onto tree branches and miraculously flying through the sky with boots that supported their bodies using different-colored flames. Those who followed the boy on foot opted to attack him head-on, which was a bad decision on their part for the boy's near animal instincts gave him a slight advantage. The men who attacked without thinking of the consequences found their hearts getting ripped out of their chest by a petite hand. They might not be human, but they still needed a heart to function and ripping it out pretty much equaled death.

The same went for a head and brain, as some men had their heads smashed or ripped off by the boy, who they greatly underestimated, even in the weak position he was in.

"_Get reinforcements! Hurry_!"

And hurry they did, for the boy was nearing civilization. That could mean chaos if he really was only relying on his animalistic instincts now.

* * *

Night should be a time to rest, a time where every living being should snuggle into their domains and close their eyes to sleep off the tires and aches that came with living. That was of course, unless one was a nocturnal animal. And there's also the fact that not all humans swung that way.

That was what irritated Hibari Kyouya as he sauntered through the dimly lit alleyways of Namimori. When he should be sleeping, the herbivores (as he called all of mankind) were out crowding on the streets and doing things in a very undisciplined manner. Occasionally, he would walk onto the sidewalk to get a better view of the city and easily catch those who were undisciplined, but he couldn't endure the crowding of all those herbivores. There were just too many tonight. He briefly wondered why that was so.

Kyouya stopped in his tracks and frowned at the filthy ground. Ah, of course; it was Sunday, the last chance the herbivores would get in "having fun" or "hanging out" or whatever other thing they called it before they had to enter their school or work place once more. How foolish and childish their thinking was. They should be sleeping _early_ because of their responsibilities.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to calm his irritation, Kyouya continued his patrol. He had made it his duty, practically his _job_, to rightfully discipline this city and have it quaking beneath the sole of his shoe. He was successful thus far; every breathing person in Namimori feared his shadow and the whisper of his name had them running for the hills with a great plume of dust at their wake, but he was far from thoroughly disciplining them. There were still many upon many people that did things behind his back and never really took his laws seriously (which was probably due to the fact that his laws only benefited him, not the people), but even he had to face the fact that he couldn't discipline everyone. Just as long as those in his way got the beating they deserved, he was all right with the world.

And so Kyouya walked on.

* * *

He had arrived in the city. And what a wonderful, bustling city it was, teeming with people whose heart were pounding so lively in their bodies, pumping succulent liquid through their veins. It hungered him even more, the thought of those humans down below as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, but he still had his conscience, his humanity, and he refused to be taken over by the hunger.

The brunet boy in white spun around just in time to block an oncoming attack from one of his pursuers. Electricity crackled from the end of the long staff just inches away from his face, but he was able to avoid it and plunged his already bloodstained hand into the anonymous man's chest, feeling it rip past the ribcage and clench around a beating heart. With a slightly feral grin, he ripped out the heart, causing the man to gasp in pain as his back arched, then he watched the man fall to the ground of the rooftop they were soaring over. The boy landed not far away from the corpse and he stared at the heart that was still beating feebly and dripping blood into his hand.

He couldn't last long with his lack of sustenance. And even though it was against his morals, it was the only thing he could rely on. With that in mind, the boy lifted the heart above his mouth as he craned his head backwards. Gulping a bit, his mouth salivating at the glistening blood on the muscle, the boy opened his mouth and let the blood drip into it, finally easing a bit of his bloodlust. He crushed the heart in his hand, squeezing out the excess blood and causing it to drip onto his face and trickle down his arm. Once the heart was squeezed dry, the boy let his arm fall to his side and the shriveled heart slid out of his grasp, making contact with the ground with a sickening _squelch_.

The blood of his own kind tasted bitter and wasn't appealing at all. It was like bitter gourd with an unpleasant aftertaste and he didn't really know if it had any nutritional value to his supernatural body (unlike the aforementioned vegetable). It was also cold. To him, drinking the blood of his own kin was like drinking seawater in the arctic, but it was necessary to survive. He could already feel a bit of his lost strength return to him and he was seeing more clearly, hearing more clearly, and thinking more clearly.

There were many who were chasing him, but would they dare make a move in the presence of humans? It was forbidden to cause a ruckus in a place where humans were present and right now, there were many present down below. He could smell them, hear them, and if something major were about to happen… well… who knows?

The boy turned his eyes to the corpse of the man that had pursued him. The number of the man's comrades was dwindling (perhaps because they knew that they couldn't do anything in the midst of a human city?) and the boy didn't know if this one was brave or foolish enough to go after the escapee himself. Well, for whatever the reason, he was dead and now the young escapee had food.

Dreading what he was about to do, the boy approached the corpse of the man that had attacked him and bent down to rip off a portion of the man's upper garment, exposing a pale neck and shoulder. Gritting his teeth, the escapee leaned down and began to devour what was left of the man's life fluid, sucking the corpse dry of blood and almost vomiting at the bitter taste it left in his mouth. It was horrendously unappealing - the blood of his own kind - but it was enough to keep his bloodlust at bay, at least for the moment.

But what came next? What would his next move be? He was far from home, far from where his friends and family were. And if he tried to make contact with them, the enemy would probably find out about it firsthand. He had to go in search for his own kin, one that wasn't already under that man's control. Maybe they can help him?

"_Feeding off of your own kind? I never would've thought that you'd do something so barbaric_."

The boy pulled away from the corpse and swiftly turned around, cold blood dripping down his chin as he glared at the tall figure that stood upon a nearby transmitter tower. The figure wasn't wearing a white uniform like the other men that was chasing the boy; instead, he was wearing a black and purple uniform and was holding a sword in either hand with two more held on either of side of his waist, which equaled to six swords in total. The man emitted a fearsome aura, accentuated by the frown he threw down at the blood-stained escapee, but the latter wasn't affected by it. He was practically used to it.

"_Genkishi_…" the brunet boy growled out as he stood, attempting to wipe the blood from his face and chin but only causing it to smear across his skin. "_So, you're the peon I have to deal with right now, huh_?"

The other man's – Genkishi's – frowned deepened and he raised one of his swords, the blade glinting in the brightness of the artificial lights that decorated the city.

"_My orders are to take you back to the base_," said the swordsman, his eyes never leaving the boy's face. "_And I suggest you come quietly unless you want to get hurt_."

The younger creature only smirked before taking a fighting stance. "_Then I suggest you try and make me_," he said challengingly.

Genkishi didn't reply to the boy's comment. Instead, he jumped off of the transmitter tower, sword at the ready, and he flew towards the rather small opponent, intending to strike him down in one hit. To retaliate the boy jumped up towards the swordsman, intending for the both of them to meet in midair, blood-covered fists raised. He was getting tired of his enemies underestimating him so much.

* * *

After walking for some time, Kyouya turned a corner and entered another alleyway that ran in between two bars. He had just decided to go home, his patrol done for the day since nothing interesting was actually happening, but he stopped short when he noticed a group of five teenaged boys crowding around two girls who looked roughly high school level but whose outfits were rather revealing.

"Hey, c'mon baby, you two can have lots of fun with us," cackled one particularly tall thug with long scraggly hair and eyebrow piercings.

The rest of the group of males cackled along with him, nearing the two girls who looked more then worried about their current situation. Sighing to himself, Kyouya stepped into the light that the side entrances of the bars emitted as he took out his precious tonfa, feeling his heart beat proudly as his weapons glinted in the light. He wasn't one to play the hero and he was only doing this because it would mean disciplining these mindless goons with a good swing of his tonfa.

"You herbivores are crowding," Kyouya's deep voice rang out through the alleyway. Though his voice was mostly low, it had the desired effect; all seven teenagers turned to look at him and the girls' eyes widened at the sight of Namimori's infamous teenager with that everlasting frown on his face and steel tonfa held tightly in his hands.

"Oho! Well if it isn't Hibari Kyouya!" said the largest of the males, one who sported a buzz cut and was a real life stereotype of a school bully. "Why don't you get lost and mind your own damn business you meddling prick!"

Kyouya resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Honestly, why are delinquents so stupid?

"You're holding up my time and you're in my way," he said in his usual calm manner. He had no reason to get riled up about fighting a bunch of mediocre delinquents. "Either remove yourselves from my sight or get bitten to death. You have three seconds to answer."

The group of five males began to laugh. All the while, the girls they had cornered found an escape and they bowed their thanks to Kyouya before running off. The brunet paid them no mind and focused his attention on the delinquents, since there was nothing else to focus on anyway.

"You have some nerve talking to us like that Hibari," said the large male who can barely be classified as a boy. He grinned cheekily at Kyouya, exposing yellowing teeth which the latter had to make a face of disgust at. Fortunately, the delinquents couldn't make heads or tails of his expressions since they all almost look the same.

"Time's up herbivores."

And that was when Kyouya charged and swiftly landed his tonfa into the gut of the nearest pasty-faced delinquent.

* * *

Okay, so maybe the boy was overestimating his own abilities for right now he was seriously being kept on his toes as he fought the yellow-eyed swordsman. And it could barely even be called a fight! All he was doing was dodging and avoiding the sharp katana blades, almost getting caught but only coming out with a scratch or ten on his exposed arms and cheeks. The blood he drank from one of the white-clad men wasn't any good in regaining his normal strength. Sure it held his bloodlust at bay, but he still felt weak. In fact, he felt even more human because of it.

He needed more sustenance and fast. But he refused to kill an innocent human because of his lack of nutrition.

"_Did you really think you could defeat me_?" Genkishi taunted as he swung his sword through the air, nearly catching his target across the chest. "_You could barely retaliate in this state you're in. It's almost pathetic, the way you're just jumping about and dodging my attacks like a rodent_."

The boy flipped backwards, away from the black-clad swordsman. He landed right at the edge of the rooftop, on top of the low wall that prevented anyone from falling lest they get too close to the edge of the building. He was panting and sweat dripped down his brow, leaving a salty trail on his skin. The boy glared at Genkishi, wanting to punch the swordsman's lights out but was, unfortunately, unable to do so at the moment. Honestly, how come the people he fights just have to open their mouths and blab the fight away? It was annoying! A battlefield was a place for battles, not for small talk and taunting!

Genkishi must have been thinking the same thoughts as well for he hardened his gaze at the boy as he raised both his swords at his sides.

"_I think my time playing with you is over_," he said, slowly walking towards the boy who was perched precariously on the low wall. "_I have given you ample time to strike back, but it's obvious that you can not. So it is time to finish this and bring you back to my master. I'm sure he'll accept you even with a few scratches_."

Che, he's a damn hypocrite, but that's not the point anymore. The boy had to think fast. He had to get out of this situation before he was brought back to that white prison cell in which he had lived in agony for the last few days.

The boy looked down at the side of the building, seeing how far it was from the ground. It was almost ten stories and in his state, he could get seriously damaged if he fell from such a height. Looking around for any escape route, his desperate eyes fell upon a small group near the opening of the alleyway in which the building he was standing on was the end with either side occupied by small two-story bars. It seemed like the group of five (now only two) delinquents were fighting with a lone person wearing a black jacket over his shoulders. If they happened to see the boy and Genkishi fighting, that could mean unwanted trouble…

Wait… maybe this was his ticket out!

Facing his opponent once again, the boy put on a determined face and stood at the ready, carefully watching Genkishi's movements as the man walked towards him. He had only looked over his shoulder for a second, but with his enhanced senses it was enough for him to fully take in the appearance of the small group at the mouth of the alleyway. He was going to use them as a scapegoat, a shield, for he knew the laws of his kind. Even the enemy wouldn't dare do anything in the presence of a group of humans. Heck, even _he_ shouldn't be doing anything in the presence of humans, but that was a risk that he was going to have to take for the sake of his survival.

"_Are you ready to be defeated again, Vongola_?" Genkishi asked and he didn't wait for an answer as he charged towards the stationary brunet.

The boy waited, putting on a show of looking overpowered (which, in one way or another, he actually was) as Genkishi sliced him across the forearms. The boy actually let himself get hurt, but he used the force of Genkishi's attack, combined with his own strength, to fly backwards and towards the duo fighting at the end of the alley (the other one had already been knocked out). Genkishi must've realized his plan at the last second for his yellow eyes widened at the boy who soared through the air.

"_Heh_," the boy said with a grin, his body finally shutting down, but not before he could get more words out of his mouth. "_I'll be seeing you_…_ Genkishi_..."

Genkishi made to go after his opponent, but he was too late. The boy had already landed on top of a human and crashed onto the ground, his eyes closed and body completely limp with exhaustion.

* * *

Kyouya didn't know why he even bothered with such weakness. Not even five minutes had passed when four of the five delinquents fell to the ground, knocked unconscious by a quick strike of a steel tonfa to their face. The only one left was the large one with a buzz cut, who donned a split lip and probably a few bruises as well. The dark-haired prefect had to give the delinquent credit for lasting so long in a battle against him. Not everyone can last more then one minute.

"Damn you… I'm going to squish you like a bug," the large delinquent growled, gripping his hands into fists.

"Hn…" was Kyouya's only response (not that it counted as a response anyway) and he readied his tonfa. The battle would end quicker if he just charged right now and took the delinquent out, but he decided that he might as well let the other boy have his delusions in "defeating" the prefect.

After all, he did last more then one minute against Kyouya. That deserved _some_ kind of special treatment.

The larger boy charged. Kyouya had a fleeting quote in his mind, something about "the bigger they are, the faster they fall" or whatever. He didn't really pay any attention to things like that. It was trivial and not worth his precious time.

Just as the delinquent was in range of the prefect's tonfa, something very strange happened. A mass of white suddenly fell from the sky, whipping through the air, and it crash landed right on top of his opponent, effectively knocking out the delinquent and crushing his face onto the hard concrete ground where blood pooled around his head. Kyouya didn't know what to think at the moment, but when he realized that neither the large delinquent nor the white mass was moving, he took it as an okay to relax his fighting stance.

Kyouya approached the heap on the ground, stepping around the other unconscious bodies of the delinquents that were in his path. He looked over the thing that had oh-so-conveniently knocked out his opponent and saved him the trouble of wasting more energy on weakling herbivores. What met his sight though was something that made his eyes go wide… and not many things can do that.

There, sprawled on top of the large delinquent, was a boy. Not just any boy, but a small, fragile-looking one who was also _covered in blood_. Kyouya would've left the boy right then and there because of his small and fragile image, but the fact that he was _covered in blood_ certainly made a spark of interest light up in the prefect's mind, causing him to peer closer at the smaller brunet. The unconscious white mass was probably half a foot shorter then Kyouya with brown hair that was matted down with sweat and blood. His cheeks were round, accentuating his youth, and his body was skinny but nicely smooth around the edges. The boy was wearing a sleeveless white jumpsuit of sorts that was gartered at the ankles and sported a high collar. The front of the jumpsuit was practically drenched in blood, which would make anyone shiver at the thought of what the boy must've went through to get such a large amount of liquid on his clothes.

Kneeling down next to the two unconscious bodies, Kyouya lifted a tonfa (he didn't stow it back to wherever he puts them) and poked the boy in the head, wondering if he was still alive. His question was answered when the boy's head twitched and his closed eyes showed rapid eye movement beneath the lids. The next question that flitted through Kyouya's mind was where the obviously younger teen appeared from, having just fallen from the sky. He looked around at the direction where the boy had fallen and he noticed a dark figure standing on top of the tall building at the end of the alleyway.

He could see yellow eyes staring at him, but he couldn't get a clear view of the figure. Heck, Kyouya even thought that he was just imagining things for a second later the dark figure was gone, replaced by empty air and shadows. Kyouya looked around trying to spot where the figure had run off to, but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how one looked at the situation) he was alone again with six unconscious bodies as company.

Looking down at the bloody smaller boy, the prefect pondered on what he should with him. The boy didn't really help him out or anything; he just fell from the sky at the right time, slamming into Kyouya's opponent and knocking him out for the prefect (even though Kyouya could just as well knock out that large delinquent). But still, Kyouya couldn't stop himself from feeling some sense of responsibility for the smaller teen. It would be troublesome for anyone else to stumble upon him and Kyouya himself was interested in the boy. After all, it wasn't everyday that someone fell from the sky, drenched in blood and covered wounds that the prefect didn't cause.

Knowing that he would probably regret this decision later, Kyouya tucked away his tonfa and grabbed the boy's slim arms before hoisting the limp body over his shoulder. The younger teen wasn't too heavy but he felt too light, like he hadn't eaten in days. That caused an eminent frown to show on Kyouya's face as he walked out of the alleyway.

He had a feeling he was going to be stuck with this boy for a while.

* * *

**A/N:** Ugh, I hate writing introductory chapters. My intros just suck and I already have future chapters planned for this fic! *sigh* Anyway, I'm sure you already guessed who the "boy" is and what he is. It doesn't take a genius to put together the pieces, but there _is_ a reason why I put it in obscurity.

I am dissatisfied with the ending, but I guess I was in a hurry to post this soon. And does this have a bigger plot then just two boys falling for each other over a course of multi-chapters? Yes, there is going to be a bigger plot. _How_ it's going to end is still out of my reach but I guess it's _way_ too early to be thinking about that…

*cough* Well, thank you for reading and please drop a review! They up my confidence and make my ego grow! XP

* * *

**Blooper **(just wanted to put in a little something, something at the end :D)

Just as the delinquent was in range of the prefect's tonfa, something very strange happened. Nothing fell from the sky like the script had said. The actor that was playing the large delinquent was frozen in mid-punch a few feet away from Kyouya and the prefect himself was frowning at the sky once he noticed that the supposed-to-be-falling boy was taking too long to fall.

"A-Ano, I think something's wrong with the harness!" said a voice from up above and there was the boy, painfully dangling in the air for his harness that was supposed to "safely" make him fall was preventing him from falling in the first place.

"CUT!" cried the director off-screen. "SOMEONE GET HIM DOWN FROM THERE!"

At that command, a bunch of stage hands began scrambling about to get the dangling boy down to the ground.

"Hmph… herbivores," was Kyouya's only comment as he sheathed his tonfa and walked off to his trailer.

* * *

**EDIT (2010):** I just might do this every few chapters... Anyway, as you can see, I have italicized some of the dialogue. The reason for that is because they are speaking in different languages; most notably Italian because we _are_ talking about the mafia here. But I left in the Japanese romanji because we're all used to it, no matter what language they may or may not be speaking… I don't know why that slipped my mind before. I guess I was just used to _not_ italicizing things. The other chapters are the same as well and I have also edited most of my A/N's because, let's face it, they're a little annoying *sheepish grin* Thank you for reading and minding me!


	2. Curiosity Killed the Skylark

**A/N:** I'm so happy by all of the reviews and alerts! You like me! You _really_ like me! *cries in happiness* Thank you _so_ much! *fans face with hand* This is _such_ an honor! *shot*

* * *

**Chapter II:**

**Curiosity Killed the Skylark**

* * *

Kyouya would've liked to think that it didn't take long for him to arrive home. He would _like_ to think that, but sadly, that wasn't the case. Since he hated public transportation (damn herbivores and their noisy contraptions) and the public in general (damn herbivores _riding_ their noisy contraptions) it took the prefect a good hour to walk from downtown Namimori to his house in the suburbs. By the time he reached the front gate to his two-story home, his legs and especially his feet were aching like mad. But to Kyouya, pain was trivial.

Adjusting the limp body that was draped over his right shoulder, Kyouya pushed open the gate to his house then closed it again before locking it. Turning swiftly on his heel (and causing the boy's body to sway a bit in the inertia) he then walked up the short distance to the front door, taking out his house keys and slightly fumbling with them as he attempted to open the door.

Opening a door with a heavy body over one's shoulder is harder then it looked.

Finally able to get the door open, Kyouya stepped into the **genkan**, being careful not to hit the boy's head against the doorframe as he turned around and close the door. No lights were on inside since there wasn't anyone around to benefit from the brightness, but now that the prefect was home, the genkan was illuminated with the florescent light hanging from the ceiling.

The house was a mix of Japanese and Western styles. The floor was made of varnished wooden planks, the walls were a nice creamy color, and hanging on the walls were simple paintings of landscapes that were more for the sake of decoration rather then anything sentimental. Slipping out of his black leather loafers and shuffling into a pair of house slippers, Kyouya stepped up onto the raised floor and walked down the hall to the staircase. He climbed up to the second floor where he entered the first door on the right, which was his bedroom.

It was a spacious room where the walls were bare of any paintings. A single bed with a mahogany headboard sat in the far corner next to the curtained window. In the opposite corner was a desk with a table lamp and a couple of school books that looked like it has barely been touched. Next to the desk were two large bookshelves filled with books that had the spines well worn out and near the foot of the bed were dark brown double doors that led to the closet. The room looked well-lived in, implying that Kyouya spent a lot of time here.

Kyouya set the bloody boy down on top of the navy blue comforter and matching pillows that adorned his single bed. Turning his attention away from the other for a moment, the prefect went to his closet and changed out of his uniform, pulling on a plain white t-shirt and cargo shorts. Tossing his used clothes into the laundry basket, he then left the bedroom and crossed the hallway to the smaller bathroom (which only contained a toilet and sink), where he grabbed a blue washcloth from the small rack on the wall and a plastic basin from the cupboard below the sink. He filled the basin with warm water before returning to his bedroom where the smaller boy still lay on his bed.

Moving to the side of the bed, Kyouya set the basin onto the floor and sat on the edge next to the unconscious boy. Soaking the washcloth with the warm water and squeezing out the excess liquid, Kyouya grabbed the nearest bloody hand and began to clean it. He scrubbed the hand, removing the dried blood from the slightly pale skin, and he frowned when he noticed that the cuts on the arm were too shallow to cause so much blood to coat it.

That only made him more curious about the boy. What could he have done to get drenched in such a horrifying way?

After wiping clean the opposite arm, Kyouya rinsed the washcloth before moving to clean the boy's face, which was decorated with smudges of dirt, blood, and small scratches. Brushing away damp brown bangs, Kyouya cleaned the boy's face then moved down to his neck that was tucked behind the high collar of the jumpsuit. He couldn't help but notice how smooth and fair the other's complexion was. It could've been his imagination but he could swear that there was some kind of shimmer in the air around the boy's face, something that made him look beautiful.

Kyouya snapped out of his unusual thoughts before they could mutate into something more cringe-worthy. He returned to cleaning the smaller boy.

It was strange. Usually he would detest doing such a thing to a weak-looking herbivore like this boy on his bed. But somehow, he didn't really mind it much. At least, as long as the boy was still asleep, which meant that he was stuck in the most fearsome man in Namimori's home for an indefinite amount of time.

What a drag.

* * *

He was dreaming. And it was the first pleasant dream he had in days, if not the only dream.

In his dream, he was lying on the grass in a great field, feeling the wind blow about and hearing it rustle the leaves on the trees that lined the field. He felt the warmth of the sun on his face, something he hadn't experienced in a long while, and the serenity in his heart was something he thought that he would never feel again.

Suddenly, there was laughter, light and happy laughter. Turning his head to the side, he could see the figures of his friends running through the field, running towards him with bright smiles on their faces. They were calling out his name, reaching out their hands for him. He allowed a smile to appear on his face. He hasn't seen them in so long that he felt like crying tears of joy at the sight of their happy faces. But then, he noticed that his friends were fading away into nothingness, leaving him alone in the field. He wanted to call out their names, wanted to see them again, but suddenly he realized that a dark shadow was looming over him on his other side.

He turned his head to look up at the dark presence. It wasn't exactly a hostile presence, but it was suspicious for he couldn't see that figure's face. It was just a dark blur, like a shadow, a silhouette of a person whose back was against a bright beam of light.

His eyes went wide when the shadow bent down and reached out a hand to grasp his own. He tried to jerk away, but his body wouldn't do what his mind told it anymore. He could only watch as the shadow's hand moved up and down his arm, rubbing it for some reason, its texture something rough and wet. It did the same with his other arm, rubbing him like it was washing something off, then it moved up to his face, scrubbing both cheeks, his forehead, over his eyes, nose and mouth. He wanted to speak, to protest and ask what the hell the shadow was doing and what it was in the first place. But even his mouth refused to move.

The dream had quickly transited from pleasant to strange. There he lay on the grass with a shadow over him, rubbing his neck for some odd reason. And the longer he stared at the shadow, the sooner he realized that the darkness spread outward, encasing his vision in black until he couldn't see anything else. But he could still feel something rough and wet rub against his skin, along with a strong and warm hand gripping his shoulder. With his senses finally awakening, he soon realized that he wasn't lying on the grass in a field, but on something soft and comfortable, a bed perhaps which said that he was no longer out in the cold night.

At least he wasn't in the clutches of his enemies anymore. And with that comforting thought in mind, he was able to open his heavy eyes.

At first, everything was a blur, but he could see a dark silhouette leaning over him. A couple of blinks sorted his vision problem and what he saw made his heart race.

Leaning over him was quite a handsome boy who was around his late teen years. This other boy had a crown of midnight black hair with long bangs that elegantly fell over his eyes. The eyes themselves were pointed and narrow, showing indifference through its curious color of not-quite-blue-not-quite-grey. But it wasn't the other's looks that made the smaller boy's heart race. It was his scent; the delicious scent of warm blood flowing through his ripe-for-the-picking veins.

"You're awake," Kyouya stated as he stared down at the unknown smaller boy who had just opened his eyes.

And what a dazzling color this boy's eyes were. It was like orbs of polished orange glass were staring at him in the eye, glossy but still clouded over from sleep (i.e. unconsciousness). Kyouya had never seen eyes like those, so pure and jewel-like. But even so, the prefect could see something dark and terrifying hiding behind those windows to the soul. And he wanted to know what it was.

"… _Who… Who are you?_" the glossy-eyed boy asked. He liked this other boy's voice. It was deep and monotone, more or less emotionless, but somehow assured safety if it wasn't spitting out venom.

Kyouya said nothing for a moment, mostly because he didn't understand the words that came out of the boy's mouth. He just stared down at the boy with his piercing eyes, but then he straightened himself up and turned away from the other, dropping the washcloth into the basin filled with bloody water.

It soon clicked to the wounded boy that Kyouya was Japanese and he had spoken Italian, so he wouldn't be understood.

"... I'm sorry," the boy said, switching to his native tongue. He was born Japanese after all and hasn't really spoken the language in a while. It was somewhat refreshing and very familiar. "I asked who you are."

Kyouya turned back and stared at the younger boy when the latter had spoken up again. He was surprised that the boy knew two languages; not even Kyouya himself knew any other language besides words that were generally known to the public. Feeling his curiosity for this boy heighten, Kyouya said, "You should introduce yourself first before asking another's name."

Blinking, the boy pushed himself up onto his elbows, eyes locked onto Kyouya's. "My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi, but those who are close to me call me Tsuna."

"Are you implying that we are close?" Kyouya said, glaring at the boy – Tsuna.

Tsuna was slightly taken aback by that question. "No. Seeing that we just met, I doubt that we are close," he said, giving Kyouya a blank look. "But I'm used to people calling me Tsuna, whether they are close to me or not."

"Hn," Kyouya turned away from the smaller boy, swooping down to pick up the plastic basin on the floor before standing up. "Hibari Kyouya was the name given to me, so you better remember it because I'm not repeating myself."

Kyouya then walked out of the room, leaving Tsuna on his bed staring wide-eyed at the closed door.

* * *

In Sicily, Italy, there stands a grand castle tucked in the middle of lands that were owned by a powerful man. This castle held the memories of powerful men and women who have come to pass, generations of greatness and proud tradition. But right now, there seemed to be a commotion. The whole castle wasn't under attack or anything, but it might as well be since the young boy who was storming through the halls had the dangerous power of spontaneously combusting anything he touches and those around were trying to stop him while avoiding his hands at the same time.

"_Gokudera-sama, please calm down_!" said one suit-clad subordinate.

"_DON'T TELL ME TO FUCKING CALM DOWN_!" yelled the silver-haired teen, sea-green eyes narrowed in an almost manic glare in which those around to witness it actually winced. "_WHERE IS KYUUDAIME? I WANT TO KNOW WHERE HE IS_!"

"_Gokudera-sama, he's – whoa_!" The hot-headed boy had just pushed a door open, saw that the room was empty, and then stormed away once again, leaving the door he had just touched to exploded in a flurry of wood chippings and flames.

Ignoring most of the subordinates that bustled around him trying to put out the fire he had just caused, Gokudera Hayato fast-walked through the hallways of Vongola Castle, footsteps heavy on the marble flooring and breathing coming out in short pants. He had just arrived from Rome, having taken the first flight back to Sicily after hearing the latest new of his boss' whereabouts. His boss – the person who saved his life – had been missing for nearly a month now. The only explanation to his disappearance was that he was kidnapped by an enemy, but even that seemed unlikely. His boss was a strong person and he would never get caught by an enemy so easily! But still, he wanted to know the details. He wanted to know if his boss was okay.

Turning a corner, Hayato continued stomping his way around the castle, hell bent on bursting into every room just to see if the current boss of the family was there. Hell, he'd even blow up the whole castle if he had to! Fortunately, that little plan of his would never see the light of day for a strong hand gripped his shoulder just as he was about to touch another door handle.

"_Gokudera, you're going to stop this rampage before I shoot holes into you_," said a deep and velvety voice.

Hayato looked over his shoulder, prepared to touch the bastard who dared restrained him, but he stopped short when he recognized the suit-clad man who wore a matching fedora on his head and sported curly sideburns (which were, some would say, his most distinct physical feature).

"_Reborn-san_!" Hayato exclaimed, turning fully to face the Vongola hitman. "_I heard_-!"

"_I know_," interrupted the man named Reborn, bringing a hand up to finger the hem of his fedora. "_If you want to know the details, come with me. We can't keep Kyuudaime waiting_."

Turning on his heel, Reborn walked off with Hayato on his tail. The older man led the teen to an elevator hidden behind a statue that brought them to the underground floors, where they were least likely to be overheard by anyone. Reborn then led the way to a meeting room where there was a long conference table that housed three other people. The old man who sat at the very end of the table gave the two new arrivals a smile, accentuating the wrinkles on his face that came with old age.

"_Reborn, Hayato-kun, I was expecting the two of you_," he said, grey mustache bristling as he spoke. "_Please, sit down_."

"_Kyuudaime_," said both Reborn and Hayato, bowing their respect to the current boss of the Vongola family before taking their seats; Reborn next to a stone-faced woman with scarring on the right side of her face and Hayato next to a young man with shaggy blond hair.

Hayato was feeling intimidated to say the least. Here he was in a roomful of powerful brethren, two of them being purebloods while the three others were powerful in their own right. He was the youngest amongst them, only a fledgling in fact and still a child, but he kept his composure and waited patiently even though minutes ago he was ready to blow the whole castle into a smoldering pile of rock.

Soon Timoteo, the ninth boss of the Vongola family, spoke up.

"_As all of you know, my successor was kidnapped four weeks ago while he was visiting Japan_," he said, face turned serious and discarding the kind smile he had on moments earlier. "_There was little news as to what happened since he went alone to his home country, but even so, we gathered enough information to discover that it was a rival family who captured him_."

The scarred woman sitting at Reborn's right typed something down on her laptop and a second later, the screen mounted on the wall behind the Kyuudaime lit up to show a simple logo; a white orchid flower.

"_The Millefiore family_," said Lal Mirch, her voice gruff from her years of shouting down maggots in COMBUSIN. "_It was created by merging two lesser known families; Giglio Nero and Gesso_." At the sound of the former, Reborn twitched, but the movement itself was subtle and no one noticed. "_Millefiore hasn't existed long, maybe around two years old, but nothing is known about this family's intentions. They have been quiet for most of its existence, but intelligence shows that they were responsible behind kidnapping the current heir to the Vongola line_."

At that, Hayato slammed his fist onto the table as he suddenly stood up.

"_Those damn bastards_!" cried the hot-headed teen, his bipolar tendencies rearing its head. "_How dare they lay their hands on Juudaime_!"

"_Hayato, calm down_," said the blond man next to the silver-haired teen, Dino **Chiavorone**. "_This news isn't easy on all of us you know. You're not the only one who's concerned for him_."

Hayato scrunched up his face in contained anger, but he settled down anyway and returned to sitting in his chair. Unaffected by the youth's outburst (which he was prone to and everyone was already used to anyway) Lal continued with her report. Pressing a button on her laptop, the screen behind Timoteo switched to some sort of video that was recorded from what seemed to be a helicopter.

"_This video was taken not too long ago in Namimori, Japan_," said Lal, pressing another button on her laptop. "_A police helicopter managed to capture it, but it was confiscated by our connections there and it was in turn sent to us_."

The screen showed the city of Namimori from a bird's eye view. It was nighttime in Japan and the city was covered in lights, both moving and unmoving. The rooftops of the buildings was what took up most of the screen however and if one would look closely, one could see bright bursts of orange and purple lights on top of a particular building. It was quick and blurred and could be easily mistaken as just rooftop lights, but those in the room weren't easily fooled.

"_Juudaime_!" Hayato cried, a look of relief crossing his face.

"_It seems to be_," said Reborn, dark eyes on the screen where the video was on a loop and lips set on a smirk. "_That no-good brat escaped from the clutches of his enemy. I have taught him well_."

"_But what are we going to do? Now that we know he's alive and well, more or less_," said Dino, composed but just as relieved as Hayato.

"_We do nothing_," said Timoteo and all eyes fell on him, three pairs calm while one pair was wide in shock.

"_B-But, Kyuudaime_!" said the silver-haired teen, leaning forward in his chair a bit. "_We need to go there and get him back! We need to find him_!"

Smiling that kind smile of his, Timoteo said, "_As much as I want to do that, I'm sure that he can take care of himself, assuming that he's not in the grasp of the Millefiore_."

"_But they'll attempt to kidnap him again if he's not_!"

"_No, they won't_," said Dino, eyes serious as he met Hayato's glare. "_They underestimated him from the start and now that they have an idea of how capable our little heir can be, they should fall back for a while and lay low. Besides, we should wait for him to contact us. We still don't know if he really did escape and we can't just jump to conclusions_."

Gritting his teeth, Hayato stood from his seat and, without any explanations nor formalities, exited the room, door slamming behind him. The three adults were apathetic, but that didn't mean they disregarded the teen's behavior.

"_He's taking it well_," said Dino, smiling with amusement.

"_How long do you think he'll last_?" Lal asked.

"_I give him a week_."

"_Too long, I'm sure that once he reaches the upper floors, he'll be yelling at some unfortunate subordinate to book him the next flight to Japan_."

"_Then we better send someone to look after him and make sure he doesn't do anything reckless_."

"_Do you think Shamal will take the job_?"

"_Nah, Bianchi sounds like a better candidate_."

At the name Bianchi, Reborn stood up as well and headed for the exit, hands tucked into the pockets of his black slacks. Taking it as an okay, Lal and Dino stood up as well, bowing their respects to the Vongola Kyuudaime who smiled in returned. But before the three adults could leave the room, the elderly man spoke up.

"_Have faith in Tsuna everyone. He'll be back soon_."

* * *

To say that Tsuna was feeling like his sanity was being tested every second he was around Kyouya would be a very accurate guess. When the taller teen returned to the bedroom with a basin full of clean water (after having poured the bloody water down the drain), Tsuna was again overwhelmed by the scent of blood that radiated off of the prefect's body. And it wasn't just the prefect's own blood; Tsuna could smell the blood of others on the mortal's body.

So, this human is prone to spilling the blood of his kin? That's quite a scary thought, even for Tsuna. And he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold himself back from pouncing at this human.

Kyouya settled down on the end of his bed, near Tsuna's feet. He then began to clean the smaller boy's dirty and scratched up feet, which he would never do to anyone but given the circumstances, he felt that he had to no choice. He was responsible for this boy and Kyouya never turned his back on responsibility. That would be a blow to his pride if he did such a thing and his pride was something he valued above everything else, maybe even above his love for Namimori.

"Why are you doing this?" Tsuna asked, staring at the teen with his glossy eyes. "You don't know me and I doubt you want to know."

"No, I don't," Kyouya answered, placing the washcloth in the basin and producing a first aid kid from his side, having retrieved it from his second trip to the bathroom. "But you fell from the sky right in front of me, drenched in blood, which is something I can not ignore."

"So, you're just curious about me? You have a funny sense of responsibility."

"Hn."

Sitting up, Tsuna shuffled closer to the dark-haired teen, the scent of blood growing even stronger with their close distance. It took Kyouya most of his willpower not to whip out his tonfa and give the boy a right smack on the head, but he was able to steel himself from the action. He was here to help the boy heal, not give him more injuries (despite his reluctance).

"Even if you're not curious about me, I'm curious about you," said Tsuna, wrapping his arms around a bent knee as he watched the prefect work on his other injured foot. "How old are you, Kyouya-san?"

The dark-haired teen inwardly twitched. No one had ever called him Kyouya-san. It was always Hibari-san and Kusakabe Tetsuya, his vice, called him Kyou-san. But Kyouya-san? That was a foreign name to his ears. And he didn't like that way it made his stomach twist in a knot. Was that normal?

"What's it to you?" Kyouya asked back.

Tsuna closed his eyes. The smell amplified and now, he could hear the beating of the other's heart. It was quicker then most calm people would have it and his breathing was a bit quick as well, quicker then a calm person's. Was this mortal feeling nervous around Tsuna? Well, if he only knew what the smaller boy was then there were more things to be worried about.

"I just wanted to know, is that so wrong?"

"Hn, herbivore."

Glossy orange eyes opened and placed its sight upon the prefect's face. "Herbivore?"

"Yes, you are a weak herbivore."

Ha, if he only knew. "I'm no herbivore."

"You are until you prove it otherwise, which I highly doubt."

"And how would I do that?"

Setting down Tsuna's newly bandaged foot, Kyouya stood up from the bed and walked over to the closet, pulling the doors open to reveal the contents. "When I see it fit to categorize you as a carnivore, or even an omnivore."

"That's a vague answer."

"Hn."

Tsuna watched the prefect dig through his closet, searching for some clothes. Soon, Kyouya produced a blue shirt and a pair of black pants with two white strips going down the sides of both legs. He tossed these clothes to Tsuna, who caught the clothing with both his hands.

"Change," Kyouya commanded and Tsuna inwardly frowned at his tone. Sure he had a nice voice, but he was so demanding!

Still, Tsuna knew he shouldn't argue lest he wanted to get kicked out of his temporary sanctuary. He could tell just what kind of person this Hibari Kyouya was and though he had never met someone quite like him, he knew how to deal with such a person. Just give them what they want and you stay on their good side, it was that simple.

Pushing himself off of the bed and standing, Tsuna raised a hand and undid the button on his right shoulder as his other hand pulled down the zipper on his right side, providing an opening for him to slip out of the jumpsuit. That left him half naked, only sporting a pair of white boxers, and he was unabashed in showing it. Kyouya took the chance to rake his eyes over the boy's body, noting how thin he looked and that there were no other cuts on his torso. That only brought up the question on where the blood on the boy's jumpsuit came from in the first place.

As Tsuna pulled on the clothes that were given to him, Kyouya approached the bed and gingerly held up the bloody jumpsuit that the smaller boy had tossed away.

"I'll put this in the wash," he said, turning to leave the room.

"Don't bother," said Tsuna and Kyouya looked back at him, an eyebrow slightly raised in question. Tsuna only gave the jumpsuit a hard glare. "I'd rather if you just burned that repulsive thing. I have no need for it anymore and the memories it holds are nothing pleasant."

The eyebrow was raised higher, more questions popping up in Kyouya's mind. Looking Tsuna straight in the eye, the prefect asked, "What did you do to get so much blood on you?"

Tsuna was silent for a moment, eyes affixed to the floor. Then he looked up at Kyouya, orange meeting blue-grey.

"I'm surprised you haven't already guessed Kyouya-san," said the shorter boy and Kyouya could've sworn that he saw those orange eyes flash red. "I was covered in blood because I have killed many men tonight. It's that simple."

* * *

"_I am deeply sorry Byakuran-sama. I have failed my mission to capture the Vongola Decimo_."

Genkishi was on one knee, head bowed in shame (on his part) in the presence of his master who wasn't really there. There was only a giant monitor mounted on the wall in front of the swordsman, showing a young man with spiky white hair and purple eyes with a purple marking under his left one. The man named Byakuran smiled reassuringly at his subordinate.

"_There is no need to apologize, Genkishi_," he said, his voice light and conversational. "_You have done your best_."

"_But that is no excuse for my failure_," said the bowing Genkishi. He hated failing, especially when it is missions from his master. He only wanted to please Byakuran, be useful to the young man who would, one day, rule the world.

"_We'll get another chance. Besides, capturing the Vongola Decimo now may be a bit too early for my plans. It's best to let him go for the moment for we have far more important things to do_."

Looking up from his position on the floor, Genkishi gave his master his full attention. "_What is it that you wish me to do, Byakuran-sama_?"

"_Oh, this doesn't concern you Genkishi_," said the white-haired man with a light smile. "_Just be on standby. I'll call you when I need you_."

Genkishi looked disappointed in not having a mission, but he bowed his head anyway. Even he knew that there were certain areas that he can not dabble in.

"_I understand, Byakuran-sama_."

"_See you then, Genkishi_."

The monitor then blinked off and Genkishi was left alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Kyouya stared at Tsuna, eyes showing surprise and skepticism. Could a herbivore like this actually kill? Surely he was just playing some sick joke on Kyouya, who did not like jokes at all. But no, there was a look in Tsuna's eyes that said that he wasn't lying. And it would explain things anyway.

"You have killed?" Kyouya asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You haven't?" Tsuna countered.

"And what did these men did to you that brought you to kill them?"

"They were chasing me, they were my enemy. I doubt you wouldn't have done the same."

Kyouya's blue-grey eyes narrowed. "You sound like you know me," he said, growing suspicious.

Tsuna briefly closed his eyes, and then he opened them and took a step forward, towards Kyouya who was standing by the door. "No, I don't know you, but I can smell you," he said, taking another step. "I can smell the blood on you, though I can't be sure if you have killed or not. But that smell is enough to tell me that you have spilled blood, more then once."

The smaller boy let out a breath, his lips parted as his eyes closed once again, intensifying the smell and sound of blood pumping through the other teen's veins. He needed it, the bloodlust was too tempting and it was burning inside of him. But he didn't want to hurt this mortal. He didn't want to kill someone innocent.

Kyouya stared at Tsuna, who stood not more then five feet away from him. What was this boy saying? He could _smell_ blood? He could smell blood on Kyouya? This was too… confusing, and the prefect did not like feeling confused. In front of him, Tsuna's head was slightly bowed, his eyes closed, and his lips parted slightly. A hand was brought up to hold his face and Kyouya could see that the hand was shaking; why it was shaking he didn't know. Pulling his lips downwards in a frown, Kyouya spoke up.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, keeping his voice strictly apathetic. The herbivore would probably say that nothing was wrong anyway, as herbivores always say.

"… Yes," said Tsuna. Kyouya was slightly taken aback by that; someone actually admitting that something was wrong, especially to him? Well, there's a first time for everything. "I'm hungry…"

Kyouya almost rolled his eyes. Of course the herbivore was hungry and how bold he was to be asking for food even though he didn't technically ask for anything. Sighing, Kyouya put aside the herbivore's confusing statements and turned towards the door again.

"Come, we'll have dinner downstairs," he said, reaching for the doorknob.

His eyes widened when a petite hand grabbed his wrist in a tight grip. They swiftly morphed into a glare and he directed it to Tsuna, who was standing right beside him, grasping his arm, but his glare tumbled into a shocked expression once he got a close look on Tsuna's face.

Eyes that were previously orange were now blood red, flashing with some supernatural energy and narrowed with some wild, animalistic emotion. Parted lips reveal long and sharp fangs and the nails on his hands had turned into claws, the ends sharp and painful. For some reason, Kyouya's body had become paralyzed with something akin to shock and bordering fear. Of course, the first thing that came to the prefect's mind was _vampire_. But that's impossible! Vampires don't exist! They were just some stupid manifestation of herbivorous minds that were afraid of the unknown! This boy… this boy in front of him was just playing some stupid trick!

But then, why were the boy's nails digging into his flesh so hard that it broke through the surface of his skin and drew blood?

"No…" said Tsuna, his voice an octave lower and the sound of that single word seemed to ring in Kyouya's ears. "I'll have dinner… right here…"

The prefect was feared, tough as nails, no nonsense, proud, and everything else that basically built the persona of a jerk ass. He feared nothing, tolerated nothing, and accepted nothing that didn't benefit him in any way. But why, why did those red eyes of this herbivore rendered him unable to move any muscle? Was this actually fear he was feeling? Or was it some supernatural power that kept him from moving? For whatever reason, whether it is fear or supernatural power, Kyouya was still immobile to his utmost despair (though he was more then a bit distracted by the fanged being in front of him).

With eyes locked onto Kyouya's, Tsuna brought the prefect's arm up to his lips, his hot breath blowing onto pale flesh. Kyouya watched with some sick form of fascination as Tsuna's lips parted further and a pink tongue appeared from the seam, dragging along the trickle of blood that ran down the prefect's arm. The taste of blood, sweet and succulent blood, sent jolts through Tsuna's body, causing a subtle shiver to travel up his spine. Crimson eyes closed in leisure, tongue savoring the flavor and energy boost, and then they opened again before lips latched onto the small puncture wounds created by his claws, sucking out the blood that drained from the pale body. At least, Kyouya was able to wince at the feeling of someone sucking on your blood.

Moments passed. Kyouya didn't how long it was until Tsuna moved his head away from his raised arm, lips tainted red from his blood. The smaller boy's eyes had ceased glowing red, now returning back to its original orange color. And it also seemed that some color returned to Tsuna's face and he looked less tired and more alert. The wounds on Kyouya's arms miraculously healed once Tsuna gave them one more lick, leaving a trail of saliva on the prefect's arm. Said prefect just stood there, letting realization slowly sink into him as he locked eyes with Tsuna once again.

"I'm sorry," Tsuna said, releasing Kyouya's arm from his grasp.

That was when Kyouya's world suddenly went black.

**

* * *

A/N:** *wince* I'm dissatisfied with the ending once again. I don't want all my endings to end up with someone falling unconscious! Ugh… Well, I hope the next chapter will be better… I also had a little trouble with Kyouya's house (to get a feel of what his bedroom looks like, see the ending song Aoi Yume… though you only see him on his bed -.-;) as well as the meeting with the Vongola and the scene with Genkishi and Byakuran… The next chapters will be more slice-of-life and will center on Tsuna and Kyouya before anything else happens… And yes, Tsuna is a vamp! I lurves vamps and my vamps will be so much fun to write! He seems like HDW Tsuna no? Well, I'm going to make him a mix of regular Tsuna and HDW Tsuna… that would be a feat, won't it? XD

**Genkan –** The entryway to a Japanese home where people take off their shoes. (I bolded it up there because I hate inserting numbers or whatnot…)

**Chiavorone** – Akira-sama never really specified if it was Chiavorone or Cavallone… but Wikipedia says its Chiavorone and I like it better than Cavallone… the hell, am I a Wikipedia nut or what? X3

**

* * *

Omake** (depending on my ideas, this section will switch between omakes and bloopers)

It was a pretty sunny day. Tsuna found it a nice idea to go walking through the park. He even bought himself an ice cream cone to cool off for a bit (vanilla and chocolate swirl!). As Tsuna was just enjoying his walk and his treat, he came along a trio of young adults. They looked like they were discussing something but he wasn't nosy. He turned away to give them privacy but then, someone called out to him.

"Hey you, the one with the ice cream cone!"

Turning back around, Tsuna saw the shortest of the young adults waving him over. He pointed at himself to confirm if it really was him that the other wanted and he got a nod in answer. Wondering what they wanted with him, Tsuna approached the trio.

"May I help you?" he asked politely.

"We need your help," said the man who called him over.

Tsuna sized up the trio. The one who called him over was about his height, if not a couple inches taller. He had a flat face with a slightly flattened nose, dark skin, long black hair, and curiously, fangs. The other male was incredibly tall, more then six feet, and his face was pale, obviously the result of putting on too much face powder. He also had dark bags under his eyes (get some sleep man!), spiky black hair, and stood in a slouch. The only female in the group was very pretty with fair skin, red lips, and was taller then the short man but shorter then the tall man. All in all, Tsuna thought that the trio looked quite… odd.

"My name's Jacob, Jacob Bulak," said the dark-skinned man and Tsuna had to stop himself from laughing at his funny accent.

"I'm Bella Suman," said the girl, her breathing heavy which caused Tsuna to think that she might be having an asthma attack or something.

"And I'm Edward Kanin," said the taller male, his voice deep and his eyes penetrating, which creeped Tsuna out a bit.

"Um, Tsuna," the young boy replied, bowing his head a bit. "What do you need help for?"

"You might know us from the movie 'Bon Twilight Chiriri Kong Twilight'," said Edward, still staring at Tsuna.

"And the recent one, 'New Moon-nia'," said Bella.

Tsuna shook his head at that. "Nope, never heard of it," he said.

"Well, that's too bad," said Jacob in his funny accent. "But we want to ask you, who do you think would be a better boyfriend for Bella? Me or vampy boy here?"

Tsuna's eyes went wide and he looked from Jacob, to Bella, to Edward, all of whom were staring at him intently and even leaning towards him.

"Um…" Tsuna said, feeling himself sweat at the closeness of the three who were now giving him weird looks. "Uh… look, it's James! He wants to drink your blood!"

"Where?" the three adults asked and they turned around, fully expecting a blond vampire to lunge at them. But when they didn't see anything, they turned back to Tsuna, only to find him gone from their midst.

"Wait… how did he know about James if he didn't see our movies?" Bella asked after a moment of silence and the two males at her side only shrugged.

**

* * *

A/N:** The Twilight spoofs aren't mine. They're from the comedy show, Banana Split, seen only in the Philippines (or The Filipino Channel), and yes, I absolutely love that show! Bon Twilight Chiriri Kong Twilight and New Moon-nia (get it? Pneumonia!) are two of their spoof gags, which is hilarious! Oh, Kanin (Cullen) means rice, Bulak (Black) is cotton, and Suman (Swan) is a food dish! LOL! Tou can see it on Youtube (Twilight spoof Banana Split) but you Spokaning Dollars won't understand it. XP


	3. Deal with a Vampire

**A/N:** I don't intend on making Kyouya the superhuman he practically is like in the anime and manga. He _can_ get hurt, what more so he goes up against a would-be mythical creature of the night with enhanced strength, speed, and senses. Keep that in mind…

* * *

**Chapter III:**

**Deal With a Vampire**

* * *

Tsuna sighed and plopped down on the swivel chair that was previously tucked beneath the space of the desk. Rubbing his eyes a bit, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs before blinking at Kyouya's still figure that lay on the bed. Tsuna had knocked out the prefect because he thought it was necessary. He didn't feel like dealing with the mortal at the moment, especially one he had just fed on.

He sat back in the chair, slumping down as he contemplated on what he should do next. Well, he couldn't just let this mortal keep on living knowing his secret, but he wasn't so heartless to actually kill the innocent being. He was sure that Kyouya wouldn't go on blabbing that a vampire drank his blood (because in all honesty, who would believe such a fairy tale?) but he owed the teen an explanation. He saved Tsuna after all and maybe confiding the human in his secret was the least the young vampire could do in thanks.

Orange eyes swept across the sleeping figure of the person he had just drank blood from. Kyouya looked… well, not exactly innocent, but Tsuna had to admit that he looked even more handsome with his face relaxed from his constant frowning and glaring. He automatically licked his lips at the thought of Kyouya's blood and how delicious it tasted. Even though he was a pureblooded vampire and didn't need as much blood as he fellow brethren, he felt hungry just thinking of this human's blood. Maybe he was much hungrier then he thought?

Clicking his tongue, Tsuna stood from his chair and stood before the window, sliding it open so that he could climb onto the ledge. He had enough time until Kyouya awoke. Until then, he had a couple things to do and had to find some more sustenance as well.

* * *

Sunlight was what woke Kyouya up the next morning. It didn't shine directly on his face, but it brightened up the room because the curtains were open and he never slept with the curtains open. Growling in annoyance, Kyouya sat up in his bed and made to close the curtains when he froze halfway through standing up. The events of the previous night rushed back into his mind. The delinquents, the fight, the bloody boy falling, bringing the bloody boy home, the bloody boy introducing himself with an herbivore name which was Tsuna, the herbivore himself actually turning out to be a literal carnivore that was a vampire and actually _drinking his blood_.

Maybe he should stop watching TV before going to bed…

Fully standing up, Kyouya looked around the room, expecting the herbivore to be standing around there, hovering over him with the need for more blood. But he saw that he was alone in his room with only the furniture as company. There were probably two reasons as to why he was alone; one, the herbivore-actually-vampire left and went back to his castle in Transylvania, or two, he was just asleep under the floorboards to avoid the sunlight that was deadly to his kind. Somehow, Kyouya doubted both of those reasons.

Making sure that he had his trusty tonfa in his person, Kyouya left his bedroom to inspect the rest of his house. He had seriously hoped that the herbivore had left him alone, but when he descended the stairs and heard the clink of tableware in the kitchen, his hopes were ruthlessly crushed into the ground.

He warily made his way to the kitchen door, which was wide open, allowing the scent of eggs and toast to drift through the air. His eyes narrowing, the prefect whipped out his tonfa, preparing to bite to death the creature that was still in his house, but before he could step into view, a soft voice called out to him.

"Kyouya-san, there's no need to hide. You can come in."

Growling, Kyouya did just that and he practically barged into the room, tonfa raised to strike at the small creature that was standing in front of his stove. But he was only able to swing at thin air and his eyes widened when he realized that he didn't even _see_ the boy move out of his line of vision.

"Ohayo, Kyouya-san," said Tsuna from the tableside and the prefect spun around to look at him, face contorted into an annoyed expression. Tsuna only smiled and gestured at the varnished wooden table where two plates of golden omelets and French toast sat. "I know I'm just a guest here, but I'm sure you won't mind me cooking breakfast for you."

"I'll bite you to death," Kyouya said, ignoring Tsuna's words as he lunged and swung at the smaller boy, who easily sidestepped the prefect's attack and dodged a kick as well.

"That's an ironic statement," Tsuna stated in a calm voice as he dodged another swipe at his torso, almost crashing into the table. "Ne, Kyouya-san, if we fight here we might break something."

"I intend to break every bone in your body herbivore," Kyouya growled and he aimed another swipe at Tsuna's head.

Ducking low to avoid the attack, Tsuna's figure blurred, practically disappearing. Kyouya's eyes went wide and he spun around, attempting to locate the herbivore's position. But then he realized that said herbivore was standing right behind him, having stolen his tonfa and was now pressing the cold steel against his bare neck. That only pissed Kyouya off more, even though he was also impressed by the quick movements. What else to expect from a vampire?

"Kyouya-san, I'm sure by now you know what I am," Tsuna said, slowly stepping away from the prefect, stolen steel tonfas in his hands. "And you should know that an ordinary human like you can not defeat me. It's practically a giveaway."

Kyouya turned around to face the supernatural creature, usual frown set in place. Smiling, Tsuna set the tonfa on the table before he sat down and gestured to the empty seat across him. Wondering what exactly he was doing, the prefect took the seat, ignoring the food in front of him and crossing his arms upon his chest. The other boy frowned a bit at Kyouya's disregarding nature, but he let it go for the moment as he picked up his fork and began to eat his own omelet.

There was a moment of silence in which Tsuna looked like he was enjoying his breakfast and Kyouya sat there, feeling his stomach growl but glad that it wasn't so loud (not knowing that Tsuna could actually hear those miniscule growls of agonizing hunger). When half of Tsuna's yellow omelet had found residence in the boy's stomach, Kyouya spoke.

"Why are you awake?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Pausing halfway through bringing another piece of ham and cheese omelet into his mouth, Tsuna raised his eyebrows at the prefect. "Pardon?"

Kyouya sighed. He hated repeating himself. "Aren't you a so-called creature of the night? Why are you awake in the day?"

To his surprise Tsuna laughed as he put his fork down. "I'm assuming you are referring to the common misconceptions that your kind has labeled on my kind." Kyouya only gave him a blank look as an answer. "Well, I do owe you for taking me in last night, so I guess giving you a new perspective on what vampires really are is the least I can do."

Tsuna smiled at Kyouya, orange eyes giving him a look that he couldn't quite identify. He wanted to squirm beneath the gaze but his pride wouldn't allow that; it kept his body still. It amazed even Kyouya on how much self-control he had.

"Well, to begin, us vampires aren't that much different from humans," Tsuna explained, leaning his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together so that it could support his chin. "We are just an advanced race, sort to speak, with enhanced senses, supernatural abilities, and of course, the need for blood. But why you humans think that we are nocturnal creatures is still beyond me." Tsuna paused. Kyouya kept silent, wanting the former to continue with his revealing of his supernatural race. Even Kyouya had to admit that the curiosity was eating him up on the inside. "To keep this explanation short, vampires are not affected by sunlight anymore then you humans are. We are also not affected by holy water because of reasons that I'm sure are obvious to you and garlic is just food to us, though there may be some who are allergic to it for entirely different reasons. Coffins are for the dead and we are not undead humans, just reborn ones, and we need food just as much as humans do, it's just that blood happens to be a part of our diet as well. Have I missed anything?"

Kyouya slowly shook his head. "You've covered the basics."

"Good, then why don't you eat? I'm sure you're hungry and don't worry, I didn't poison it or anything. That's not my forte."

Chuckling a bit at his in-joke, Tsuna picked up his fork and began to eat his omelet again. Kyouya stared at his own meal, not trusting himself to pick up his fork and eat as well. He was hungry yes, but will he really trust a vampire on food?

"Please eat Kyouya-san. I slaved over a hot stove to make something delicious for you," Tsuna said, almost pouting with his fork in his mouth like a little kid. Kyouya was almost taken aback at the gesture. Was this a bipolar vampire he was dealing with?

Tearing his eyes away from the young vampire, Kyouya slowly picked up his fork and cut a piece of omelet before scooping it up and bringing it to his mouth. He could feel Tsuna's eyes on his being as he chewed his meal and it was hard for the prefect not to look surprised at the flavor that exploded in his mouth.

The egg was light and fluffy. The cheese was deliciously melted. The ham was… just ham. But all in all it was a delicious omelet, something that was made with great care. Kyouya reached for his French toast, steeling himself not to look eager, and he took a bite out of the corner of the slice of bread. It was just the right blend of crunchy and soft. The crust wasn't too hard and the slice itself wasn't too salty. To top off the simple meal was a tall glass of orange juice and it wasn't the store bought kind either; it was freshly squeezed, something that Kyouya had never really had before.

Tsuna smiled as he watched the prefect eat the meal he had made. He wasn't really confident in his culinary skills, and though many had said that he was a great cook, he always suspected that they said that because they had to. It was a little dejecting to live as a pureblooded vampire. Everyone always complimented and respected you out of fear, not sincerity, because it was known that purebloods were powerful and since Tsuna was the youngest pureblood of his generation, his power was hardest to control, making him the most dangerous.

Snapping out of his brooding, Tsuna set down his fork, meal already consumed, and he leaned towards Kyouya who was just wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"How was it? I'm not very confident in my cooking skills to tell the truth," he asked, eager to hear an honest opinion.

Kyouya looked thoughtful for a moment, before he spoke. "It was…" Damn, he had to be honest here! "… delicious…"

Tsuna's face brightened up and the prefect could've sworn that his uniquely orange eyes glowed like light bulbs… very gorgeous, orange light bulbs.

"I'm so glad to hear such an honest opinion!" Tsuna exclaimed, standing up and gathering the dishes, which Kyouya allowed. "Everyone always said good things about me because they fear what I – or anyone else for that matter - might do if they didn't."

The prefect looked up at the young vampire who gently placed the tableware in the sink and turned on the faucet. "Your own kin fear you?"

"Well… yes, in a way."

That was almost like Kyouya. "Why?"

"Mmm… I don't know if I should tell you. I already should've have been arrested for telling you about our existence instead of killing you."

"Then why _didn't_ you kill me?"

Tsuna paused in his dish washing, looking thoughtful. He turned around from his position in front of the sink and looked Kyouya straight in the eye as he said, "For two reasons; one, because I am not a savage who goes around killing innocent people, and two, because I could use your assistance."

Kyouya narrowed his eyes; someone needing _his_ assistance? He only provided his services to things that would add to the discipline of this city, like protection for the hospital and helping the police solve cases, among other things. He never helped people that didn't benefit him in any way whatsoever.

"I don't give out my assistance for free," he said, crossing his arms upon his chest once again.

"I know, you seem like that kind of guy," Tsuna said, returning to washing the dishes. "So I'll just make you a simple deal. If you let me live under your roof for some time, I'll offer you my services in any way necessary; be it house work, cooking, or anything else, I'll do it. But I draw the line on killing and hurting those I deem innocent."

Kyouya's ears perked up at that. Well… he did need the house to be cleaned, seeing that he barely spent his time at home since he always patrolled the city, cruelly neglecting his family home. And also, most of the Discipline Committee couldn't put up a good fight if their life depended on it. Maybe he could use this herbivore… carnivore… whatever, as a sparring partner. Despite the fact that Tsuna was a vampire, Kyouya would never admit defeat to anyone. He could beat this herbivore and he _will_ beat him… someday…

"I'll even pay you rent and split all the bills with you!" Tsuna said, suddenly appearing across the table in front of Kyouya, almost causing the former to jump up in surprise. The prefect looked at the sink to see that the dishes were all washed and set upon the drying rack to dry. Either Tsuna made use of his superhuman speed or Kyouya had been thinking for far too long.

"Why do you need to live here in particular?" Kyouya asked, curiosity still gnawing on his insides.

"Because it's the perfect hiding place," Tsuna explained, looking serious. "My family thinks I'm either dead or dying, so last night I contacted my predecessor to affirm my being alive." Kyouya had more questions but decided to withhold them. "I told him that I was going to go in hiding for a while, since my enemy might still be after me, and I told him that no one else but a select few should know that I'm alive and well. So, in short, Sawada Tsunayoshi is still missing when I'm actually hiding in the presence of humans."

"Hiding in plain sight?"

"Exactly."

"What an herbivorous plan."

Tsuna frowned, but continued. "While I'm hiding, my family will be trying to figure out my enemy's intentions, and perhaps by the time they figure that out, I'll be ready to face my enemy."

"As in a fight?"

"It might become one if things keep going on this way, but I also need to polish my skills before my predecessor retires."

Kyouya's brows furrowed as he stared at Tsuna. "I have no idea what you're talking about with all this 'family' and 'predecessor' business. What exactly are you and what do you do?"

Tsuna smiled one of those enigmatic smiles and shook his head. "I don't think you really need to know right now, but just tell me if you will or will not let me live in your home."

Kyouya frown's deepened. He didn't really see a valid reason to let a vampire – of all creatures! – live with him in his house. But somehow, the fact that it's a _vampire_ who wanted to live with him was what made it so tempting.

Damn, he wasn't thinking like himself at all. Maybe it was because that herbivore drank his blood…

Speaking of which.

"What about satiating your thirst?" Kyouya asked, feeling a tad nervous as he did so. If he was going to end up this creature's blood bank every night then Tsuna might as well kick his own ass out the door.

Chuckling (mostly because he could hear Kyouya's nervousness), Tsuna went over to the refrigerator and opened it to take something out of the door shelves. He held up the packet so that Kyouya could see and the prefect's eyes widened a bit when he recognized it to be a blood packet from a hospital. According to the label, the blood was a type AB…

"I can live off of these," Tsuna said, placing the packet back inside the fridge before closing the door. "Though blood in packets is the vampire equivalent to coffee gone cold, it still has the same sustenance with the perk of me not having to kill anyone. Besides, unlike ordinary vampires, I don't need to feed everyday."

Alas, even more questions exploded in Kyouya's mind and he frowned, not liking having an interest in this herbivore. But who wouldn't have an interest in a creature that was only thought to have been a myth? Last night Kyouya was just another oblivious human and now… now…

"You broke into the hospital and stole from it?" Kyouya accused, standing up from his seat and picking up his tonfa. "I'll bite you to death for your crime."

"Hey, I needed more blood and I definitely wasn't going to feed off of an unconscious you!" Tsuna argued, stepping away from an advancing Kyouya. "Besides, I only took a few packets and I made sure there was more of the same type just in case someone needed it!"

"No excuses, you stole and that's against the law."

Tsuna scoffed as he kept his distance from Kyouya. "Please, we both know that the both of us have done more illegal things then just petty stealing."

Kyouya froze and frowned. Tsuna smirked a bit, knowing that he got the prefect there, but then Kyouya shook away his thoughts and advanced towards the young vampire once again, who still kept his distance from the prefect. Just as Tsuna was about to remark on something, a consistent ringing sounded through the air and Kyouya scowled as he turned his back onto the herbivore (not liking that one bit!) to answer the phone in the hallway. Tsuna let out a sigh of relief before he went to the kitchen doorway and peeked into the hall to listen in on Kyouya's phone conversation.

Picking up the receiver, Kyouya place it upon his ear and said, "What is it?"

_Wow, blatant phone greeting_, Tsuna thought. This mortal really knew how to get to the point.

"I am aware of that Kusakabe Tetsuya."

Kusakabe Tetsuya? Was he a friend of Kyouya's? Well, seeing the way that the prefect was scowling at the phone, maybe he wasn't.

"Are you ordering me around?"

And he seemed so nice.

"I will be there when I am there. I do not need your worrying so just shut up and do your job as my vice."

And thus Kyouya terminated the phone call by placing the receiver down. He turned and headed back down the hallway, passing by Tsuna who was giving him a curious look. The prefect ignored his guest and ascended to the second floor where he was not to be seen until a few minutes later.

While Kyouya was gone, Tsuna loitered around the kitchen, shifting through the cabinets to see the contents. He noticed that there wasn't much food in the cabinets and it was almost bare, like the refrigerator. It was a good thing that he had gone to a convenient store last night and bought their breakfast, only just after having hit the hospital and withdrawing a couple bucks from his Swiss bank account. If he didn't, then their breakfast would have probably consisted of cold pizza and soda, which wasn't very healthy.

Hearing footsteps coming down the stairs, Tsuna shut the cabinet door and went to the doorway of the kitchen, almost bumping into Kyouya, who had changed into his usual uniform. Seeing those clothes, Tsuna raised a questioning eyebrow at his host.

"I'm going to school," Kyouya explained, fixing up his cufflinks as he went to the genkan to slip on his shoes. "Don't make a mess, don't answer the telephone, don't answer the door, and don't go through my things. I'll be back around eight and I expect dinner by then, understand?"

"So, I'm assuming that means you _are_ going to let me live here?" Tsuna asked.

"There's no need for rent, but splitting the bills is fine."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Having slipped on his shoes, Kyouya looked back at Tsuna and found the young vampire smiling at him. His expression was soft, his orange eyes were shining, and Kyouya could've sworn that flowers began to bloom around his face, shining with those so-called "bishounen sparkles" that was all too common in anime.

Kyouya turned away and shook his head. Maybe he should stop watching such shows. He was starting to compare them with real life.

"Have a good day Kyouya-san," Tsuna said as the prefect opened the door.

Kyouya only responded with a simple "Hn," as he closed the door behind him. Unknown to the prefect, once the door clicked shut Tsuna broke out into a wide grin.

_Success!_

**

* * *

Omake:**

_Tsuna stared. He stared at the lineup of his family who were doing a strange… was it a dance? And accompanying the dancing mafia members was this upbeat and techno-like song that he couldn't understand the lyrics of. He could tell it was a European language though… maybe Swedish?_

"_Vi undrarar ni redo alt vara med. Armarna upp nu ska ni fa se. Kom igen. Hvem som helst kan vara med."_

_Yeah, sounds Swedish. Wait, where was the music coming from anyway?_

_But that dance, it looks physically impossible for a human to do that dance! Their hands were on their heads, opening and closing to the beat like neko ears, and their hips were jutting from side-to-side in ways that were so disproportional to the human anatomy! Either they had some kind of surgery done on them or they were just _that_ flexible._

_And why was Giotto dancing along with them? He was supposed to be dead! But there he is, dancing alongside Hayato who was next to Takeshi who was next to Ryohei, and then down the line was fifteen-year-old Lambo, then Mukuro and Chrome (when did he get his own body?) followed by Kyouya (he was dancing and still looking nonchalant!) and it was a miracle that he wasn't biting Mukuro or Dino to death, the latter dancing next to him who was in turn dancing next to Squalo (who looked like he was enjoying himself) and then came Xanxus (probably the only one who was actually showing anger while dancing) who was next to Belphegor (with Viper on his head no less) then came Basil followed by the girls, Kyoko, Haru, fifteen-year-old I-Pin, Bianchi, Lal Mirch, and ending the line was Colonnello._

_That only brought up another question. Why was Viper in his baby form while Lal and Colonnello were adults? Curious-er and curious-er…_

Orange eyes snapped open and Tsuna sat up in his chair, blinking away the sleep that had clouded them. He looked at the computer screen in front of him, the youtube video of random anime characters dancing the Caramelldansen still playing. Frowning a bit, Tsuna reached for the mouse and closed the windows.

"That's it. No more going on the internet before bed…"


	4. Hello, I'm Yoshi

**A/N:** Ummm… R&R? ^^;

* * *

**Chapter IV:**

**Hello, I'm Yoshi**

* * *

"Kyou-san, is something the matter?"

Kyouya looked away from the window where he was staring up at the sky and his eyes settled on his right-hand man, Kusakabe Tetsuya. The taller teen with a ridiculous pompadour hairstyle and holding a plant stalk in between his teeth was giving Kyouya a concerned look which only made his superior wonder what his own face looked like as he stared out the window.

"No," Kyouya answered, turning away from the window and walking over to sit on one of the green couches.

"But Kyou-san, you looked really deep in thought," said Tetsuya.

Kyouya shot the pompadour-haired teen a glare and that silenced him, as it always does. He didn't feel like confiding his so-called secret with Tetsuya, even though he was one of the very few people that he trusted (to an extent), if not the only one. It'll only bring up questions that Kyouya didn't want to answer and also, he doubted that Tetsuya would believe him when he said that he had found a vampire last night (or was it the other way around?) and now that creature was living with him in his house.

And for some reason, he couldn't get that creature out of his mind. Maybe he was worried that his house might be burning down right this instant. But then again, Tsuna _did_ seem like that kind of mature and kind person who was friendly to everyone (an herbivore in short). Kyouya only hoped that he wouldn't get a phone call from the fire or police department any time soon.

"Ano, Kyou-san." Kyouya looked up at his right-hand man, silently granting him permission to speak further. "Aren't you going to patrol the school?"

Tetsuya was giving him that concerned gaze again, which Kyouya didn't like so he ripped his eyes away from the teen's face and settled down on the couch, placing his feet upon the armrest while his head laid on the opposite one.

"I'm going to take a nap," he said simply and he knew that Tetsuya knew that he was dismissed.

"Hai Kyou-san, I'll patrol in your place," said the taller teen and he turned away from his superior, quietly sliding the door open and stepping out into the hallways before closing it behind him.

Finally alone, Kyouya quickly removed his cufflink and rolled up the sleeve of his right arm, inspecting it for the umpteenth time since he had come to school. For some reason, he could still feel that herbivore's mouth latched onto his skin, sucking out his blood like a leech. He ran his fingers over the spot that tingled with the sensation, his arm twitching with the feeling. He bared no wounds and his skin was as smooth as before, but that sensation never left him. It was like an itch that wouldn't go away and it was annoying.

Sighing, Kyouya rolled down his sleeve again, but left his cufflink off, removing the opposite one to match and tossing them onto the table where it clattered to a stop. The prefect then made himself comfortable on the couch, ready for his midmorning siesta.

But he could still feel his arm tingling.

* * *

When Kyouya returned home that night, he was relieved to see that his house hadn't burned down like he suspected. It was still standing with no evidence of burn marks or other signs of damage that wasn't made by the weather. So with that, Kyouya made his way to the front door and stepped inside the house.

The smell of tomato sauce wafted into his nose and he felt his stomach growl in anticipation. Kyouya made to step out of his shoes, but stopped short when he noticed that there was another pair of shoes sitting in front of him. These were ordinary white sneakers, but they looked new. Feeling curious, Kyouya went to the kitchen where he found Tsuna standing in front of the stove, stirring what smelled like noodles in a large pot. Hearing the prefect, Tsuna turned around and smiled at him, expression so soft that it could've been made out of silk.

"Okaeri nasai, Kyouya-san," he said and he gestured at the pot. Kyouya noticed that he was also wearing different clothes; a blue and white t-shirt and jeans. "Dinner will be ready in a while, so please wash your hands before eating."

Grunting, Kyouya left the kitchen and ascended the staircase to his room where he changed out of his uniform and washed his hands thoroughly before returning to the kitchen. Tsuna had just poured a heavy dose of spaghetti sauce on top of a clump of noodles and then garnished the sauce with parmesan cheese. He did the same with another dish and then brought both of the plates to the table. Kyouya watched him work and was a bit awed at how easily he maneuvered around the kitchen, like he had been there all his life. Kyouya himself wasn't such an expert in the culinary arts. He can cook simple meals like rice and miso soup and the like, but the spaghetti almost looked restaurant-made and Kyouya should know what restaurant meals were like since he usually ate out (his meals were free).

"Where did you get the money for the ingredients?" Kyouya asked as he took his seat at the table. The mixed smells of the noodles, sauce, and cheese was delightful to his nose and he felt himself looking forward to the meal. Strange for him, but he didn't mind it as much. Food was important after all.

"I have my own money Kyouya-san," Tsuna said as he poured water into two glasses before settling down in his own chair. So that was how he was able to buy his own shoes and clothes. "But I doubt you have any idea where it actually comes from."

Oh, Kyouya could come up with a couple ideas, but he pushed those ideas aside as he took a sip of water before picking up his fork and twirling some noodles with it. With a quiet "itadakimasu" Tsuna followed his example and the two ate their meal in silence for a while.

Once again, Kyouya was impressed by the young vampire's cooking. The sauce was incredibly sweet with bits of beef, carrots, and cheese. The flavors blended together nicely with the perfectly cooked noodles and Kyouya chewed slowly, savoring his meal. Somehow, home cooked spaghetti tasted better then restaurant-made spaghetti.

"Kyouya-san, I'd like to ask you something."

The prefect looked up from his meal, almost having forgotten about his guest turned housemate. He wiped his mouth with a napkin before straightening himself and giving Tsuna a blank look.

"And what would that be?" he asked back.

"What school do you go to?"

More questions. Kyouya didn't like questions, especially ones that were unnecessary, but he decided to humor the creature and answer anyway. "**Nami-ko**."

Tsuna gave him a confused look. "But don't they wear khaki jackets at this time of year? Why do you wear a black one?"

"Because I want to," Kyouya answered simply as he picked up his fork and began eating again.

"Won't you get in trouble?"

"No."

"Oh, I see."

Kyouya glanced up to see that Tsuna had returned to eating his meal as well with a thoughtful look in his eyes. He wondered what the herbivore was thinking about. Then he mentally slapped himself at wondering such a thing. Why was he even remotely interested in the vampire's thoughts? Maybe it was because of the way the eyelids to those orange orbs lowered to half mast, therefore casting a mysterious shadow over them…

Kyouya looked away. It was rude to stare.

A few minutes later, Kyouya was standing in front of the sink, washing the dishes as Tsuna was wiping down the table and putting away the place mats like the good little housekeeper he was. There was a silence that was only broken with the quiet clink of china as Kyouya placed the newly washed dishes on the drying rack and the soft creak of wood scraping against the wooden floor as Tsuna pushed the chairs beneath the table. Once everything was clean, Kyouya wiped his hands dry before turning to Tsuna, who was standing next to the table, waiting for him to finish.

"You'll be sleeping in the **washitsu**, the last room on the right, just next to mine," Kyouya said, hanging the dishtowel he used to wipe his hands on the oven door handle. "There's a futon in the **oshiire**, just set it out when you want to sleep."

"Hai," Tsuna said with a soft smile. "Domo arigato gozaimasu, Kyouya-san."

Kyouya rolled his eyes. "Stop being so formal, there is no need for that."

"Oh. Okay then."

The prefect then left the kitchen through the doorway that connected it to the living room which was of the Western style with a couch, two armchairs, a coffee table, and a large flat screen TV that sat upon a low cabinet. One side of the room held sliding glass doors that led to the small yard outside, the blinds open to reveal the limited scenery. The other side was open to reveal the hallway. Wanting to relax a bit after hours of walking about the city, Kyouya settled down on the couch and reached for the remote control, pressing a button where the TV flickered to life. He skimmed through the channels for a bit until he found something interesting to watch then sat back on the couch with a sigh.

It felt pretty normal, until Tsuna slipped into an armchair, eyes set on the TV as he brought his knees up to his chest. Kyouya's attention was placed onto the herbivore and his eyes scrutinized the young vampire's feet. He noticed that they no longer adorned the bandages that he so meticulously applied the previous night, but he guessed that that was expected from a vampire. They were fast healers of course or so Kyouya had heard.

"You know, it's been a long time since I've watched TV," Tsuna suddenly stated, eyes still glued on the moving animated pictures on the piece of technology. Kyouya raised an eyebrow at the statement. "For a month I was locked up in this blindingly white room, like I was in an asylum. My captor kept me alive with food, but he limited my intake of blood, so I felt like I was going out of my mind in there."

Kyouya kept silent. He didn't understand why the herbivore was telling him such a thing. He was only a mortal right? And the immortal being in his house shouldn't bother recalling anything about his life. He was only here as a housemate, someone that Kyouya had to put up living with for who-knows-how-long. Tsuna should hold no responsibility in revealing his misadventures to a mere mortal. And Kyouya didn't want to get sucked into the life of a vampire.

"I thought I was a goner for sure," Tsuna breathed out as if a great weight was lifted off of his shoulders. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Kyouya interrupted him.

"Make me some tea," the prefect ordered, changing the channel to the local news.

Tsuna looked away from the TV and at Kyouya, blinking at the blank face that he was increasingly getting used to. A small smile then flittered across his face and he then stood up from the armchair, walking back to the kitchen to make some tea.

* * *

The next day was uneventful as far as Kyouya was concerned. It was just another ordinary Tuesday where he went to school, beat up those who violated the rules, and took short naps whenever he could find the time. Tetsuya still seemed to think that the head prefect was distracted by something, but he didn't bring the subject up again, knowing that Kyouya just might beat him for probing. When school was over, Kyouya then proceeded with his rounds through the city, biting those to death who crowded about him, were deemed annoying, or were doing more illegal things.

He returned home the same time as the previous night. Tsuna was waiting for him, looking considerably happy. He talked about his day shopping for things that they needed over their dinner of curry and rice (which made Kyouya think that maybe this vampire was a female instead of a male) and he recalled the days when he was actually living a normal life, like he was right now (if one could call living with _the_ Hibari Kyouya normal). The prefect had let the herbivore talk, not saying much himself and feeling glad that Tsuna didn't ask him any unnecessary questions. Why he let the boy talk without biting him to death was quite beyond him though.

The rest of the week passed by smoothly and, even though they still didn't know each other that well, the two housemates fell into a daily routine. Tsuna would see Kyouya off in the mornings and when the prefect came home at night, he would be waiting for him with dinner on the table, though twice that week Kyouya had come home late and that resulted in Tsuna eating by himself.

As compensation for his living at the prefect's home Tsuna kept the house spick and span. He even tended to the yard which Kyouya didn't really give much thought to and soon the small clumps of land that surrounded the house was bright green and lush with life. Kyouya had to admit that it certainly made the house look more pleasing to the eye, especially with the purple hydrangeas.

On Sunday afternoon, Kyouya returned home from his patrol to get some much needed rest. He was sleepy; his eyelids were feeling incredibly heavy and he was hoping that the herbivore could make him something to eat before he went off to Lala Land. But as he stepped inside his house, he found no shoes sitting in the genkan, which meant that Tsuna must've stepped out for something. Sighing a bit, Kyouya made his way to the living room where he slumped onto the couch and closed his eyes, almost instantly falling into a dreamless sleep.

Maybe food could wait until after he was rested.

About an hour after Kyouya had come home, Tsuna returned as well with a small bag at his side, something he did not have when he left the house. The young pureblood smiled at the bag he carried, mentally thanking his predecessor for the items. It was difficult leaving the house because not only will he be spotted in appearance, he could also be sensed by any other vampire in the vicinity since he was still unable to completely mask his pureblood aura. And he was also worried about putting Kyouya in danger of his enemies. So the items he carried with him now were for precautionary measures and Tsuna was ready to set the barriers up around the house.

Slipping off his sneakers, Tsuna noticed Kyouya's school shoes occupying the genkan. He wondered why the prefect would be home so early, since he usually only came home at night. But then again, it _was_ the weekend. Even Kyouya should return home in the day time.

"Tadaima Kyouya-san!" Tsuna called out to the house. He received no answer in return, so he stepped into the house, wondering where his housemate was. He didn't have to look for long for he found the prefect sleeping on the couch in the living room, face relaxed and looking blissful. Tsuna dropped the bag he had into an armchair and approached the sleeping prefect, leaning close to get a better look.

Tsuna found it quite amusing that a man as fearsome as Kyouya could actually look so normal when asleep. But then again, Tsuna had met many terrifying men in his life and he had had the (secret) privilege of seeing them in their most vulnerable state. He should thank Lussuria for that though.

"Herbivore," said a voice and Tsuna jumped lightly, not realizing that Kyouya's eyes were open and watching him.

"Oh, Kyouya-san," Tsuna blinked at the prefect, who frowned up at him. "Sorry if I woke you up." He got a grunt in return and Kyouya turned on his side, back facing Tsuna. What a polite man. "Ano, would you like anything to eat or something?"

"Coffee," was the reply. "And whatever snack you feel like making."

Smiling, Tsuna gave his okay and headed to the kitchen to prepare snacks. When he returned to the living room, Kyouya had dozed off once again but awoke when he heard the quiet clink of a plate and mug being set on the coffee table. Sitting up on the couch, Kyouya found a plate of **onigiri** on the table and a plain mug filled with piping hot black coffee. Tsuna had a glass of orange juice in his hand and was already munching on an onigiri. The prefect followed his housemate's example, except he ate his meal more slowly.

After gulping down his orange juice, Tsuna set his glass aside and reached for his small black bag. He opened it and pulled out a round device with many rings around it, like a mini gyroscope. Kyouya eyed the device, wondering what it was and what the hell that herbivore was going to do with it. Said herbivore inspected it, as if he didn't know what it was as well, but that notion vanished when a smile made its way across the vampire's face and he lifted a finger, pushing what seemed like a button on the very top of the ball-like device. The device then whizzed and whirred before it began to glow a soft blue, accompanied with a soft humming sound. Then by some unnamable force, the device began to float in Tsuna's hands while the rings turned around the main ball, looking like some wild and glowing hand-held gyroscope-esque planet.

Kyouya stared at the device. Never in his life had he seen such a thing. He doubted that such a thing existed in the human world, but the vampire world seemed to be an entirely different story.

"It's for protection," Tsuna explained without being asked, placing the device on the coffee table where it hummed and floated. "It'll mask my presence in a one block radius. Mind you, it's just a prototype, so that's why it doesn't go any farther then that. But at least it'll last long, unlike the previous experiments."

More questions, more wondering. Kyouya was awfully curious about the lives of these so-called creatures of the night. They actually had inventions that the human world would never even dream of making! And if this is just a prototype, then imagine what other technological wonders that they could make – and have already made.

That night, the two were watching TV after having consumed their dinner. Even with the speakers busting out edge-of-your-seat sounds and the screen flashing with an action scene, Kyouya still found himself distracted by the "barrier device" that sat on a small shelf above the TV (the shelf built there by Tsuna). It was just innocently sitting there, spinning and humming, but the strange device just made itself look so foreign in the prefect's house. But of course, it was a device not commonly found in human homes. So why did Kyouya feel like taking the annoying spinning thing and chuck it outside?

"Maa, I think I'll turn in now," Tsuna suddenly said, standing up from an armchair and stretching a bit. "Tomorrow's a big day for me after all. I can't wait!"

Kyouya turned his head to raise an eyebrow at the smiling vampire. "What are you talking about herbivore?"

Tsuna's eye twitched minutely at the prefect's habit of calling him (and everyone else in the universe) an herbivore, but he couldn't really do anything about it. It was a bad habit to break, he figured.

"Oh, you'll see Kyouya-san," Tsuna said, answering Kyouya's earlier question. He only smiled at Kyouya's frown before heading out of the living room.

Kyouya continued to frown even when the vampire's footsteps faded away upstairs. Somehow, he didn't like it when the herbivore kept things from him.

* * *

Monday came and it was another school week for Kyouya. After heading off from the house (with Tsuna's usual "have a nice day" parting), the prefect remembered the herbivore saying something about this day being a big day for him. Of course, that could only make the prefect wonder, but he pushed his curiosity (which had gotten him into trouble many times) and thoughts aside once he saw the gates of Namimori High School (which was affectionately called Nami-ko by the students).

Kyouya positioned himself near the gate, watching students file inside the campus either in groups or by themselves. As long as they weren't crowding near him, they wouldn't be bitten to death and school was just starting, so crowding at this time of the day was tolerable. But the late students were the ones he was anticipating; they'll make for an acceptable morning workout.

"Kyou-san."

Said prefect looked around to see Tetsuya walk up to him.

"What is it?" Kyouya demanded.

"I'm here to inform you that a new student is coming to the school today," Tetsuya said, handing Kyouya a piece of paper which turned out to be an enrollment form. The name of the enrollee was Mizuki Yoshi, a fifteen-year-old male freshman who transferred from the countryside due to his parents' job. His father was Mizuki Soijiro, a car salesman, and his mother was Mizuki Kanoko, a chef. Yoshi's previous school was Fuwa High School and he had only studied there for a few months before moving to Namimori with his parents. That, among other things, covered the form.

"Why was I not informed before?" Kyouya asked, handing the paper back to Tetsuya with a small frown. He was practically the ruler of the school (and to an extent, the city of Namimori) so everything that happens, be it school events, faculty meetings, and transfer students, Kyouya had to know.

"He had just enrolled yesterday. And I wasn't informed until earlier as well."

"Hn. Fine, I'll see to it that this new student will be educated in our school's rules."

"You needn't wait Kyou-san. He's here with me."

Kyouya felt a little surprised when Tetsuya stepped to the side, fully revealing the boy who was standing in the taller teen's shadow. Kyouya didn't even sense the boy's presence, but it was justified when he saw just how short the boy was. Not to mention how nerdy he looked.

The boy – Yoshi – was about half a foot shorter then Kyouya and had brown hair that was tied in a spiky ponytail and long bangs that brushed over his eyes, which were hidden behind large rounded-rectangle glasses. He was wearing the Namimori school uniform which consisted of a white undershirt, a khaki jacket, a blue necktie, and brown slacks and a backpack hung from his shoulder. For some reason, this boy looked familiar to Kyouya, though he wasn't sure as to why yet.

"Hello," Yoshi said, bowing at the prefect. "I'm Mizuki Yoshi, pleased to meet you."

But when he heard the boy's voice that was when it clicked in Kyouya's head.

"Kyou-san is the head of the Discipline Committee here," Tetsuya explained to Yoshi. "He enforces punishments to those who break the rules and then some."

Yoshi nodded his head, apparently understanding what Tetsuya meant when he said "and then some" but before the other male could explain anything any further, Kyouya suddenly struck at Yoshi's face with his tonfa, effectively knocking the boy down to the ground along with his glasses that slipped off of his face.

"Kyou-san!" Tetsuya cried, looking stunned at his superior's actions.

"I-Ittai…" Yoshi groaned as he pushed himself up on his knees, a hand cradling the cheek where Kyouya struck him.

Kyouya's eyes narrowed at the kneeling boy. He had hit the boy hard, but all he said was "ittai," not even crying out in pain or fear when the prefect hit him. That wasn't natural. Any normal person would either be unconscious or bruising very badly. Niether of these symptoms shone in the herbivore's face.

"Kyou-san, why did you do that?" Tetsuya asked earnestly.

Ignoring his vice, Kyouya knelt down in front of the fallen boy and used the end of his tonfa to tilt the boy's head up. Meeting his gaze was a pair of light brown eyes which were wide and seemingly fearful. But that couldn't fool Kyouya. It made him curious, but it didn't fool him.

"What are you doing here herbivore?" he growled, keeping his voice low so that Tetsuya couldn't hear him.

Yoshi stared fearfully into those piercing blue-gray eyes, looking entirely afraid. But a second later the fear vanished from his eyes, replaced by a playful look, and a small smile graced his lips.

"I'm here to learn of course, Kyouya-san," Yoshi said – or shall we say – _Tsuna_ said.

**

* * *

A/N:** I made Tsuna look weird didn't I? It is more then difficult to imagine his hair _tied up_! Though I love the glasses meme! (XP)

**Nami-ko** – _Ko_ is the contracted form of _koko_ which is high school, as opposed to _chuu_ which is middle school (and also happens to be the sound effect for kissing! *chuu* :3) and _dai_ for _daigaku_ which is college/university.

**Washitsu** – The traditional Japanese style room in a modern Japanese home. It has a sliding door entrance (called _fusuma_, which are more opaque then _shoji_), a _tatami_ mat floor, a wooden ceiling and _shoji_ windows (sliding windows with very thin paper).

**Oshiire** – A two-level closet used to store futons. Usually found in a _washitsu_.

**Onigiri** – Basically rice balls. They are filled with different kinds of food, from meat to fish to veggies and even fruit. There are even red bean paste ones, which I'm sure are delicious because red bean paste taste good! (X3)

(Why do I add these Japanese words? Because I'm a Japanese buff and you need to be educated ;D)

**

* * *

Blooper:**

Yoshi nodded his head, apparently understanding what Tetsuya meant when he said "and then some" but before the other male could explain anything any further, Kyouya suddenly struck at Yoshi's face with his tonfa, effectively knocking the boy down to the ground along with his glasses that slipped off of his face.

"Kyou-san!" Tetsuya cried, looking stunned at his superior's actions.

"I-Ittai…" Yoshi groaned as he pushed himself up on his knees, a hand cradling the cheek where Kyouya struck him. A large blue bruise was starting to form there and it throbbed with pain, almost rendering Yoshi – or Tsuna – unable to speak because of it.

"CUT!" the director cried, looking thoroughly pissed at the prefect. "Kyouya! You weren't supposed to _really_ hit Tsuna! You were to fake it and miss!"

Tetsuya was slack-jawed as he stared at the bruise on Tsuna's face while Kyouya just rolled his eyes at the director's words. Why fake hitting someone when actually hitting them would make it more realistic? Those damn herbivores and their mundane ideas…

"I think… my mouth is numb…" Tsuna said, but his words were a bit slurred and talking hurt for him.

The director sat back in her chair and sighed in exasperation. "Would someone retrieve a medic to look over Tsuna?" she said and at once, a P.A. scrambled to fetch the doctor.

"Hn," Kyouya said, not looking the least bit concerned for his co-star.

"Kyouya, you're impossible," the director informed her lead star.

Smirking, Kyouya said, "I wouldn't be Hibari Kyouya if I wasn't."

"And you're an arrogant bastard too…"

(Guess who the director is ;D) 


	5. School and Sushi

**A/N:** Sorry for the rather late update. Writer's block is a bitch and not only that, it has puppies… evil little puppies that soil the furniture, ruin the drapes, and break the china… bad puppies…

* * *

**Chapter V:**

**School and Sushi**

* * *

Tsuna scrutinized his glasses, making sure that there were no scratches on the lenses. They were expensive, specially made glasses, so it wouldn't do if they were damaged in any way. Good thing they weren't, though they were such a pain to wear, hurting his eyes since he wasn't used to wearing them yet.

"What do you think you are doing here herbivore?"

Tsuna looked up and nearly flinched at the annoyed glare Kyouya was sending his way. Currently, the two were sitting on the green couches in the reception room, Kyouya having dragged Tsuna into it after finding out that he was the new student, the so-called Mizuki Yoshi. The prefect wasn't feeling entirely angry at Tsuna. He was just annoyed that the vampire would actually show himself at the school without any notice whatsoever.

"I've already told you Kyouya-san, I'm here to learn," Tsuna said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Is that so hard to comprehend?"

Kyouya ignored the remark as he sighed. "What's with the get-up?" he asked, indicating the glasses that Tsuna was twirling in his hands and the ponytail. Despite his hair being tied up, there were still many places where it spiked up and in all honestly, it didn't look very good on him.

"It's my disguise," Tsuna said, slipping the glasses onto his face with a smirk. "People can still recognize my face you know."

"Your hair looks ridiculous."

Tsuna shrugged indifferently. "It helps keep people away."

"What about your eyes? Why are they brown?"

At that, Tsuna smirked before he reached into his pocket, taking out a small blue case. Popping the cap open, he showed the prefect the contents, which were round blue pills that looked more like candy then anything else.

"Once consumed, these pills effectively conceal my presence from other vampires, masking my aura considerably," he explained, returning the case into his pocket. "They only last a couple hours though since they're prototypes as well." Tsuna then tapped the rim of his glasses. "And in case you haven't noticed, my eye color isn't one that's very common in the human society though it indicates my pureblood status in the vampire society. The brown color is just an added bonus with the concealment."

Kyouya's eyes narrowed at the vampire. "What do you mean by pureblood status?"

Tsuna laughed lightly. "Ah, gomen; I forgot that I haven't told you anything much of my kind's society."

Kyouya waited, but Tsuna didn't elaborate any further. He still wanted to know, but Tsuna wasn't here to go on blabbing about his species. He was just hiding and Kyouya was providing the hiding place. He wasn't in any obligation whatsoever to explain himself to the all-too-human prefect.

Sighing through his nose, Kyouya said, "I thought you were hiding. Going to school will only make you an open target."

"True," Tsuna said with a shrug. "I may – or may not – be spotted by my enemies, but it is boring staying in the house the whole day. I have nothing else to do except play housekeeper for you and even doing _that_ isn't entertaining enough."

"So, you're only doing this to entertain yourself?"

"More like occupy myself, but yes I am. Besides, I haven't been to a human school in years, since elementary I think, and I haven't studied in my hometown in that same amount of time."

Kyouya's eyebrows rose. So, Namimori was this young vampire's hometown eh? That means there should be some records stored somewhere about this boy. Kyouya made a note of visiting the police station sometime today.

"Kyouya-san, are you going to keep me here for long?" Tsuna asked, looking at the prefect over his glasses. "Class is going to start in five minutes."

Blue-grey eyes flickered upwards at the young face that was looking at him. He was amazed that someone that looked so young and practically innocent was a dangerous and powerful creature. The world really does work in strange ways.

"You may leave," Kyouya said, leaning back on the couch and draping an arm over the backrest.

Smiling, Tsuna stood up from the couch while nodding his agreement. He hefted his bag over his shoulder and walked towards the door, sliding it open and stepping out into the hallway. He nodded a greeting at Tetsuya, who had been standing outside like a sentry, and the pompadour-haired teen entered the reception room, awaiting orders from Kyouya.

"Handle the school for a while," the prefect said from his relaxed position on the couch. "I'm going to handle some business outside."

* * *

The class of 3A was silent as they stared at the rather nerdy-looking new student who was standing up in front. Their teacher, Satou-sensei, wrote the new student's name on the blackboard before turning around to face the class.

"This here is Mizuki Yoshi," he said, gesturing to Tsuna, who didn't need much effort to make himself look small. "He transferred here from the countryside, so I hope you'll all help him get used to the city."

At that, Tsuna bowed to the class. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Please take good care of me."

No one answered, but it wasn't like Tsuna was expecting one. He may not know much about school in Japan, but he knew enough, though that may just be the TV in him talking.

"Mizuki-kun, please take your seat next to Yamamoto-kun," said Satou-sensei. "Yamamoto-kun, raise your hand so that Mizuki-kun knows who you are."

A long arm shot into the air and Tsuna slightly raised an eyebrow at the person the arm was attached to. He looked like the epitome of a Japanese person, though he was taller then the average Japanese teen. He had short dark locks adorning his head, expressive brown eyes, and an easy-going grin that accentuated his kind and equally easy-going face. He looked like the type of person who was easily approachable, always cheerful, and was the all around nice guy in a group who didn't like conflict and only liked having fun.

Plus, he had sweet-smelling blood. Tsuna allowed a tiny smile to appear on his face as he took his seat next to the teen.

"Hiya," said Takeshi, grinning widely at Tsuna. "I'm Yamamoto Takeshi."

"Mizuki Yoshi," Tsuna said, smiling at Takeshi.

"Yeah, I know. Is this your first time in the city?"

Tsuna was tempted to say no, but he was in disguise so he couldn't blow his cover. "Yes, it is. I've never seen so many tall buildings clustered in one place."

"Amazing isn't it? Hey, do you play baseball?"

"Can't say I haven't."

"That's great! Maybe later we can-!"

Suddenly, the teacher's voice rang out. "Mizuki-kun, Yamamoto-kun, please pay attention to the lesson."

There was twin, "Hai sensei," as Tsuna and Takeshi snapped into attention and they shared a quiet laugh with each other as they put aside their conversation for the moment.

It hasn't been five minutes into his first class and Tsuna was already having fun.

* * *

There was a slap as Kyouya tossed a folder onto the table that sat in between the green couches of the reception room. He had just returned from the police station and after threatening a couple of officers and the chief of police himself, Kyouya got what he wanted; Sawada Tsunayoshi's records. In it was information on him, his parents, and probably anyone else who he was related to. It was something that Kyouya had been itching to get his hands on… at least since this morning.

Getting himself a cup of coffee to sip on, Kyouya settled down on a couch and reached for the folder, pulling it towards him and flipping it open. The first thing he saw was a picture of a boy, maybe around ten years old, who was definitely the younger version of Tsuna. He had the same hair (albeit a bit shorter), a rounder face, and bigger, more innocent eyes which were brown instead of orange. The eyes confused Kyouya a bit, but he set it aside for the moment to scan the words that were printed on the page.

It said that Sawada Tsunayoshi was born on October 10, **1995**, to a Sawada Iemitsu and Sawada Nana (whose maiden name was **Mizuki**, hence Tsuna's fake name). His father was a man who did construction work while his mother was a simple housewife. He studied at Namimori Elementary for five years, but when he was ten, the Sawada family moved from Namimori because of Iemitsu's work. Tsuna had no siblings and no close relatives for both his parents were single children as well, but the history of the Sawada's was shrouded mystery. They seemed like simple folk who never got into trouble, but where they came from, who their relatives were, and even where their current address was not known. It was like they suddenly appeared out of no where for both Iemitsu's and Nana's parents weren't named in the file.

Sipping his coffee and frowning, Kyouya looked through Tsuna's school records which he dug up from Namimori Elementary. It was startling to know that the young vampire who remained a mystery to Kyouya actually had abysmal grades. He sucked at everything, barely scraping a passing mark on average, and even his athleticism was mediocre. Apparently he was a big klutz and tripped over air when he was walking. Kyouya doubted that he could even chew gum and walk at the same time.

It was unbelievable that a klutz like the ten-year-old Tsuna could actually dodge attacks and stand on par with Kyouya himself in the present day! That made Kyouya wonder on what exactly happened to Tsuna that made him what he was today. And of course, wondering only made the pile of questions grow higher, questions that were burning on his insides and seriously needed answering.

Kyouya sipped his coffee again, still frowning. He didn't like all the questions in his mind that were swirling and spinning around like a mental tornado. So he just grabbed them all, bunched them up into a wad, threw it at the ground, and then began stomping on it until it was half buried into the dirt.

The prefect was having second thoughts to harboring a vampire. It was ruining his mental capacity to not question things and to keep his mouth shut.

Damn that vampire.

* * *

For the first half of the day, Tsuna remained conspicuous enough. His name was called a few times so he could answer questions related to the lesson (all of which he got right) and once lunch rolled around the corner, a couple of his classmates were kind enough to ask him to accompany them for their daily midday eating ritual. Takeshi tagged along, wanting to continue their conversation about baseball which resulted in Tsuna receiving a couple facts about Takeshi. Apparently, the tall teen was a big fanatic of baseball and he was the baseball star of Namimori's baseball team, the Skylarks (Tsuna suspected that Kyouya had something to do with changing the school's mascot). It didn't surprise Tsuna that Takeshi's dream was to get into the major leagues and put Japan on the map in the long history of baseball.

And Tsuna noted happily that he had made his first official friend in school.

The end of the day soon came and once the bell rang, Tsuna packed up his school books and notebooks, ready to head home. He had to admit, human schools were far more simplistic than vampire schools, both in terms of education and power. Yes, there are vampire schools, but it was only for those vampires who had the money and contacts to attend one. The rogues were a much different story.

"Yo, Yoshi!"

Tsuna lurched forward when a hand clapped his back hard. He inwardly scowled; the pills he consumed not only concealed his presence from other vampires, but also lowered his use of his vampire powers. It was sort of frustrating to revert back to his clumsy human state.

"Hello Takeshi-kun," Tsuna said, pushing his frustrations aside and smiling at the taller teen. "Do you need something?"

"Not really," Takeshi said with a wide grin. "I just wanted to ask if you're doing anything after school."

Tsuna blinked at Takeshi from behind his eyeglasses. "Well, no, I'm not. Why?"

"I wanna invite you for some sushi over at my place," Takeshi said, his grin never wavering. "My dad owns a sushi restaurant and we can do our homework too. Whaddya think?"

The young vampire steeled himself from jumping for joy. It was only his first day and someone was already asking him over to their house for some studying? He really was feeling like a human again.

"Well, sure, I'd love to," Tsuna said with a smile, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

If possible, Takeshi's grin grew wider. "Great! Then come on!"

The two friends left their classroom, chatting happily with each other about random things as they left the school. It was a good thing that Takeshi's place was within walking distance of the Nami-ko and it didn't take them long to arrive at a small sushi restaurant named **TakeSushi**. The building was of traditional Japanese architecture though Tsuna was sure that the kitchen would be more up to date with the culinary industry and the second floor was where the Yamamoto's would sleep and such.

Tsuna followed his friend into the restaurant and his eyes immediately found the middle-aged man making sushi behind the counter and tending to the customers. He was the much older version of Takeshi, an inch or so shorter with wrinkles on his face, wiser eyes, paler skin, and a skinnier body. And considering the grin that appeared on his face once he spotted the two teens stepping into the restaurant, Tsuna couldn't be wrong in thinking that the man was Takeshi's father. They looked so much alike after all.

"Yo, **Oyaji**," Takeshi said, waving to his dad. "Tadaima."

"Oh, Takeshi, you're home early," Yamamoto Tsuyoshi stated, wiping his hands on his apron.

"Yeah, there's no practice today and I've got a lot of homework to do." Takeshi then gestured to Tsuna who was standing silently behind him. "Anyway, this here's Yoshi, he's new at school and I invited him over to study."

Tsuyoshi's brown eyes landed on Tsuna and the two made eye contact. For a brief moment, Tsuna saw something flash in those middle-aged eyes, something that might've been realization, but realization of what, Tsuna didn't know. And even though Tsuyoshi was giving him a grin, the young vampire could tell that it was forced in some way.

"Nice to meet you Yoshi-kun," said the middle-aged man.

"Yes, same here Yamamoto-san," Tsuna said with a bow. Straightening up he caught the cautious look that Tsuyoshi was discreetly giving him though it was quickly covered with a grin.

"So, go on you two and study. I'll bring up a plate of sushi later on."

"Thanks Oyaji! Come on Yoshi!"

Tsuna nodded his head and followed Takeshi to the back of the restaurant where there was a door that probably led to the second floor. Before disappearing behind the door however, Tsuna subtly glanced back at the older Yamamoto and he wasn't surprised to see the man's eyes narrowed at him.

* * *

When Kyouya came home that night, he saw that was dinner already on the table (as usual) with Tsuna happily humming away as he placed chopsticks in their respective places. Tonight they were having sushi and fish; something more Japanese instead of the usual Western food Tsuna seemed so fond of cooking.

"Kyouya-san, I hope you don't mind take out," Tsuna said as he settled into his chair. "One of my classmates invited me over to his house which is also a sushi restaurant, so his dad gave me an order of sushi and fish free of charge."

"And who is this classmate of yours?" Kyouya asked without thinking. God, he was sounding like the herbivore's mother now!

"He's Yamamoto Takeshi. You should know him, right?"

Yamamoto Takeshi huh? He knew that person, the star of the baseball team and one of the few people who wasn't entirely afraid of the prefect's existence. Well, Takeshi was _wary_ of irritating or angering Kyouya in any way, but he was always friendly with the older teen like he was with everyone else. It annoyed Kyouya on occasion, but as long as the baseball star didn't get in his way too much, they were on equal ground… sort to speak.

As they ate dinner (Kyouya would never admit that TakeSushi's sushi was absolutely delicious), Tsuna went blabbing about his all too ordinary day. He seemed ecstatic about living such a normal life now (more or less) and he stated that doing homework without having explosives tied onto his person was a big breath of fresh air. Kyouya raised his eyebrow at the comment but decided that it wasn't necessary to question that.

Following their nightly routine, the two housemates settled in the living room after dinner but instead of turning on the TV for some mind-numbing high definition entertainment, Kyouya produced a folder from underneath the coffee table and tossed it to Tsuna, who jumped lightly when the folder landed on his lap.

"What's this?" the young vampire asked, though his question was answered when he opened the folder and found a picture of his younger self staring up at him. His orange eyes (the pills had worn off some time ago) narrowed at the piece of paper that divulged some of his personal information and he looked up at Kyouya with an unreadable look on his face. "You investigated me?"

"Of course I did," Kyouya said, looking unconcerned about digging into someone's privacy as he sat back on the couch and rested his feet on the coffee table. "I have to know exactly who is the person living with me. Otherwise, how should I actually trust him?"

"Oh, I know _you_ don't entirely trust _me_ Kyouya-san," Tsuna stated as he placed the folder on the table in front of him, indifferent about his privacy being violated. "But I'll have you know that going through my records here in Namimori won't tell you much of the present me. The past me you might have an image of, but the present me is far more diverse than the one of five years ago."

Kyouya knew that; Tsuna needn't have stated it. But he needed to know at least _something_ about the young vampire. All he knew was that he was a vampire, he liked to cook, he wanted to study in a human school, and that he had many enemies out there who either wanted him as a prisoner or for dead, but other then that, Tsuna's image was a complete blank. And for some reason, Kyouya wanted that image to be filled with color, to be made whole, to be an actual image, a _picture_ that he can look at and decipher and stare at for his leisure and to satiate his curiosity.

Speaking of which, Kyouya was sure that his curiosity was going to be the death of him someday.

"Hn, I can not believe that a clumsy herbivore actually grew fangs," Kyouya stated as he reached for the remote.

Tsuna laughed at Kyouya's sentence. "Quite literally, no?" he said as he leaned against the armrest of his armchair.

A second of silence between the two as the TV flickered to life, and then Kyouya said, "Tell me; are you really fifteen years old?"

Tsuna contemplated on answering, but came to the conclusion that there was no harm in it, so he nodded in confirmation. "My species ages until a certain point in our lives, though there are some who age until they look like a human around their sixties or older. It depends really." Tsuna looked at Kyouya and caught the older teen looking at him, though the other broke eye contact right away, pretending that what happened didn't happen. The young vampire chuckled as he turned back to the TV. "It's just one of the many things you don't know about us, Kyouya-san."

_But I want to know_, Kyouya found himself thinking as he set aside the remote control and relaxed on the couch. _I want to know everything…_

* * *

Somewhere in town there stood a dojo. It wasn't uncommon for some families to have a dojo and this particular one was no different. It like every other kendo dojo out there; wooden floors, ceiling, and walls in which the names of those who studied in the dojo hung from (which was few), and an oil painting or two to lighten up the atmosphere and add depth to the otherwise blandness of it all. It wasn't anything special, just another ordinary dojo in the heart of a large city.

But instead of the dojo being special, it was the _person_ sitting inside it that was.

He kneeled in front of the altar at one end of the large room, two candles lit at either side of him despite the florescent lighting. The soft orange glow of the tiny flames made the shadows flicker and dance, enticing the ideas of monsters and demons hidden in the darkness. But the man was not concerned of the darkness. No, he had other things in mind; more important things.

The man's brown eyes flickered up to the katana that hung on the wall. It seemed to only be there for decoration, but he knew otherwise. It had been used plenty of times, had spilt blood more then once, and it was an essential and effective weapon against the creatures he had slaughtered in his younger years. He had long ago put his past behind him for the sake of his family, but now that he was faced with one of _them_ once again and had the hunch that his son was in potential danger, he couldn't ignore his instincts.

The man stood up, his navy blue kimono rustling in the pressing silence of the room, and he reached up to the removed the katana from its perch. He hasn't held it in years but holding it now made his heart race and his excitement grow. He wasn't exactly proud of having led the life he used to lead, but he couldn't stop telling himself that it was like the good 'ol days, sans his companions.

Turning to face the darkness of the dojo, the man slipped the katana into his obi and unsheathed the blade, feeling his heart bang even harder against his chest as he watched the sharpened metal glint in the candle light. If he was going to do what he used to do, he was going to have to bring his body back into shape. He decided that a few days would do and that there was no need to rush. Besides, he was sure that the creature wasn't going anywhere in that short amount of time.

The man took a deep breath, relaxing his body and readying himself. Then he swiftly spun around, swinging his blade as he did so.

The dojo was plunged into complete darkness as the burning wicks of the candles were cut off with expertise.

**

* * *

A/N:** Nyah, I think this chapter was a bit bleh, but I'm particularly proud of the ending. Next chapter will have a bit of action in it and the plot will move forward an inch or so, though I'm still contemplating on how I should transit the story into the path I want it to go… Meh, I'm sure I'll think of something (XP).

**1995** – I don't have a specific date set for this fic, but let us all assume that it is set in 2010, for the sake of it all. The month however is still being considered…

**Mizuki** – LOL, I named Tsuna's mom Nana Mizuki. I don't know why… _trip ko lang_ (literally "it's my trip" but I'm not sure what the English equivalent is). For those of you who don't know, Nana Mizuki is a J-Pop singer, though I'm not really familiar with any of her songs…

**TakeSushi** – I think this spelling is better then Takesushi. You get the joke right? TakeSushi? Take sushi? As in take some sushi? Eh, never mind (-.-;)

**Oyaji** – Japanese for old man.

**

* * *

Behind The Scenes:** (I couldn't think of an omake or blooper… yes, there's a difference between the three of them…)

"No," Kyouya said while throwing a fierce glare at the dark-haired director standing before him.

"Awww!" The director whined, looking deflated. "But Kyou-"

"No."

"But-"

"I said, _no_." Kyouya glared maliciously now. "And do not ask me again for that is my final _no_."

The director pouted, crossing her arms upon her chest. She looked like a spoiled child who couldn't get what she wanted, though in a way, that's exactly what she was. "I just don't see what's wrong with the scene," she stated with pouty lips.

"_Everything_ is wrong with that particular scene," Kyouya said, looking disgusted at the director. "I can not believe that you actually thought that I would go along with this."

"Well… it was worth a shot."

"And you wasted money on a useless costume."

"Nah, I'm sure it'll come in handy sooner or later."

"Don't think I'll be wearing it."

The director waved off the P.A. who was holding up the black and white French maid costume she had asked for, though it was frillier then the standard design, had a shorter skirt, and must be worn with fishnet stockings (at least, that's what the director wanted).

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see Kyouya," the director said, looking forlornly at the costume that was draped over the retreating P.A.'s arm. Kyouya subtly shivered at the thought of having to wear that costume. The director on the other hand would've killed (and then some) to see the infamous Hibari Kyouya wearing such a thing, though her star needn't know that.

The same might go with the brunet's fan club, but again, he needn't know that…

(Kyouya in a skimpy French maid costume…? *thinks about it and promptly faints from blood loss*)


	6. A Creature of the Night

**A/N:** I spelled Oyaji wrong in the last chapter. I'm sorry; it's the Filipino in me, since we sometimes pronounce "gi" as "ji". Thanks to those who pointed that out for me. Hope that it won't happen again, LOL.

* * *

**Chapter VI:**

**A Creature of the Night**

* * *

Kyouya jerked awake, his blue-grey eyes snapping open in the darkness of his room. His heart was beating fast in his chest, his breathing was heavy, and he was slightly hot beneath the covers of his bed, causing beads of sweat to form on his exposed skin. Sitting up, he put a hand to his head and remembered the dream that plagued his sleep.

It was full to the brim with shadowy figures whose eyes were wide and manic. They were clawing at his feet, grabbing his body and slicing him with their sharp claws. Their mouths were wide in what would be manic laughter, teeth razor sharp and snapping at him. He tried to get away, he even tried to fight the demonic beings, but he found that he couldn't. He found that he was weak in his dreams, unable to even land a punch on the beings that were obviously trying to kill him.

But then, someone saved him. It was another shadowy being, but one with calm orange eyes, unlike the rest. Kyouya couldn't remember the rest of the dream, but he could remember those orange eyes boring into his being, orange eyes that showed concern for him, that looked at him in a way that other people did not.

That was what made Kyouya scowl. Why was he having a dream like that? And why did such a dream wake him up at – he turned to look at the digital clock sitting on his desk – three in the morning! Growling something incoherent, the prefect ran a hand through his tousled hair as he removed himself from his bed, suddenly realizing that his throat was dry and was in need of some refreshment. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Kyouya made his way to the door and left his room.

He descended the stairs, intending to get a glass of water from the kitchen, but he stopped short when he noticed that the light to the kitchen was on when he was certain that he turned it off before going to bed. Frowning a bit, Kyouya entered the kitchen and wasn't entirely surprised to see a certain vampire sitting at the kitchen table, stirring something in a steaming mug. Tsuna looked up from the mug when he realized that he wasn't alone in the kitchen.

"Oh, Kyouya-san," he said, smiling softly at the prefect. "Why are you awake at this hour?"

"I should be the one asking that," Kyouya said as he took his usual seat in front of Tsuna.

Tsuna chuckled a bit. "Well, unlike humans, vampires don't need eight hours of sleep." He sipped his hot drink, closing his eyes in leisure before looking at Kyouya again. "It really depends on how much energy we need to replenish, but we'd stay awake all day and night if we could get away with it."

Kyouya nodded once, showing that he understood. The two fell into a comfortable silence, Tsuna still stirring whatever was in his mug and sipping it every once in a while. Soon, Kyouya's mind wandered back to the dream he had woken up from just a few minutes ago. He had no idea as to why he was having such a dream and it unnerved him a bit since there was this little voice at the back of his mind that was practically yelling at him that his dream was trying to tell him something. That or maybe he was just stressed out.

Pfft, _right_. Hibari Kyouya stressed out…

"Kyouya-san."

Blue-grey eyes snapped up to meet orange ones and Kyouya suddenly realized that those were the same eyes as in his dream, the same eyes that belonged to the being that rescued him from his shadowy captors. His stomach clenched at the realization and he inwardly scowled, but he skillfully kept his face passive.

"What?"

"Do you want some warm milk? I just made some and it'll help you get back to sleep."

Warm milk sounded nice, so Kyouya grunted his affirmative and Tsuna got up from his seat to give the prefect a mug of the aforementioned drink. Said prefect sighed as he folded his arms on the table in front of him, eyelids drooping a little. His mind wandered to various, random things from the past to the present, to the vampire who had just set a steaming mug of warm milk in front of him.

Kyouya nodded his thanks as he took hold of the mug and brought it to his lips, taking a small sip of its contents. When he found that it wasn't so hot, he took a larger sip and savored its sweet flavor.

"Is it good?" Tsuna asked as he smiled at Kyouya with his hands wrapped around his own mug.

The prefect only nodded before taking another sip and placing the mug down. Silence followed and it was a comfortable one, a companionable one. Kyouya noticed that the silences between him and Tsuna were far from awkward despite them having only met each other. It was like they have known each other for years and all they needed was each other's company to wash away any uneasiness.

Not that Kyouya was _feeling_ uneasy…

"Kyouya-san, did you have a bad dream?"

Blue-grey eyes looked up and immediately narrowed at Tsuna, who drew back at the glare with a dubious smile on his face. Man, that piercing glare was _scary_!

"Don't make assumptions herbivore," Kyouya said, calmly closing his eyes as he lifted his mug to his lips. "Is it not common for someone to wake up in the middle of the night?"

Tsuna made a noise of agreement as Kyouya sipped his milk and then he said, "But I heard you. You were groaning in your sleep and you sounded… afraid."

Kyouya's grip on the handle of his mug tightened, but he kept his face impassive as he sipped his milk. There was no need to get worked up about a dream, even though the dream included the very being who was sitting in front of him, giving him a curious look that seemed to make his heart jump.

He wished those eyes would stop staring.

"It's nothing you need to be concerned over," he said as he set his half-empty mug down without removing his hand from the handle. He wanted to leave, but somehow his body refused to move. He wanted to turn away from the herbivore staring at him, but he was petrified and he didn't know why. It was like those orange eyes were keeping him in place, holding his gaze tightly, trying to see what was actually on his mind, maybe even trying to _read_ it.

They sat like that for a few seconds, staring at each other, wanting to see who will break first. To Kyouya's surprise it was Tsuna who broke eye contact first, blinking his gaze away. He watched as the young vampire stood up from his chair and approached the sink to wash his mug and set it aside on the drying rack. Tsuna then turned back to Kyouya with a small smile of understanding on his face.

"I'm going back to my room," Tsuna said softly before walking out of the kitchen. "Good night Kyouya-san."

He only got a quiet grunt as a reply.

* * *

Namimori International Airport was filled with noise; the _zip-zip-zip_ of roller bags across the floor, the _tap-tap-tap_ of people's shoes against the tiles, the loud murmur of conversations mingled with machinery and jet engines, et cetera. Overall it was very noisy, busy, and crowded, which irritated the hell out a certain silver-haired teen who was insistently rolling an unlit cigarette stick in between his teeth, eyes narrowing behind his dark sunglasses.

"_Yo, Octopus-head_," said a raspy voice from behind him and Hayato turned to glare at another teen. This teen was about the same height as him (maybe an inch taller) with his white hair in a crew cut, tanned skin, and a scar across his left brow. At first glance, the teen wasn't particularly good-looking, but then when one takes a closer look one could see the little details that made him particularly handsome, especially with his determined demeanor and muscular body that was evident through his red shirt.

"_What do you want Lawn-head_?" Hayato hissed at him, the teen named Sasagawa Ryohei.

Ryohei's grey eyes thinned a bit at the cigarette dangling from Hayato's mouth. "_It's against the law to smoke in here_," he stated matter-of-factly.

"_Che, as if you had any regard for human laws_," Hayato huffed angrily, turning to face front again and adjusting the carry-on bag hanging from his shoulders. "_And besides it's not even lit so how can I smoke the damn thing_?"

Ryohei's frown deepened a fraction but he brushed it aside for the meantime in favor of watching out for their luggage that should be amongst the ones riding the conveyer belt before them. If he had been human, Ryohei would've yelled unrelentingly at Hayato to put the cigarette back in its pack or grabbed the cigarette himself and toss it into the nearest trash bin, but he had long since learned tolerance and patience. Sure he had his outbursts now and then, but he didn't really want to cause a scene in front of so many humans. Besides, he was in his hometown now and the rush of nostalgia was preventing him from acting like his usual self.

He spotted a red duffel bag nearing him and he waited for it to be near enough before grabbing it from the conveyer belt, not needing to look at the name tag strapped around the handle to know that it was Hayato's (the smoky scent was enough to identify it by). Behind him, a tall handsome teen with wavy black hair and a bored demeanor took his place next to Hayato after having visited the restroom, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he scratched the back of his head.

"_Hey, Stupidera, how long are we gonna stay here_?" Lambo asked and Hayato's silver brow visibly twitched at the nickname.

"_Stupid cow, how am I supposed to know how long we're gonna be here_?" Hayato snapped at the slouching teen next to him. "_I admit it could take days for us to find Juudaime, but we're not leaving until we do, got it? So stop asking_!"

Lambo grumbled, "_I was just asking_," and he turned to help Ryohei with the luggage, having nothing else to say to the silver-haired teen.

Hayato took a deep breath once he was alone (for the moment) and then let it without sounding exasperated. It had been a few weeks since he had heard of his boss' supposed escape from the enemy's clutches and it was a few weeks too long for him. He had intended on taking the first flight to Japan once the meeting with Kyuudaime was over, but then his blasted sister had to show up from God-knows-where and prevent him from even thinking of the word "airplane". It was then in that long span of time he had been closely monitored by his sister who almost always never let him out of her sight, which was proved difficult for Hayato to sneak away.

It was a good thing that even though Hayato was only a halfblood, he had been blessed with keen insight and a strategic mind. Despite the fact that Bianchi was older and more experienced then he was, Hayato drew up a plan to escape her clutches and get to Japan. With the help of two others (namely Ryohei and Lambo) he found his chance to slip from his sister's grasp and step onto a plane headed towards the Land of the Rising Sun. And for some reason, the two people who was in on his plan had decided to tag along, babbling about wanting to find their precious Juudaime as well. Hayato had wanted to go alone, but it wouldn't hurt to have someone who knew the town to tag along, even though the guy irritated the hell out of him.

He wasn't so sure about Lambo though. Perhaps it was that clichéd saying, "the more the merrier" that popped into his mind when he had agreed to let the stupid cow come along.

"_So Gokudera, where to first_?" Ryohei asked as he appeared next to Hayato, one hand carrying his own luggage while he handed the halfblood the red duffel bag.

"_We find a place to crash_," Hayato said as he pulled his bag from Ryohei's grasp. "_Then we start looking_."

"_You have any idea where we should start looking_?" Lambo asked, taking up Hayato's other side.

"_Of course I do stupid cow; don't underestimate me_."

With that final word, Hayato huffed and began to walk out of the baggage claim area with the two following his wake, weaving through the many tourists and locals who had returned from a trip or whatnot. It didn't take long for the group of three to finally step out of the airport, breathing in the open air as they lined the curb, trying to hail a taxi. At least, Ryohei tried to hail a taxi while Lambo was slyly eyeing some Japanese girls a little way away (who were giggling amongst themselves about the three handsome boys in their sight) and Hayato was standing nonchalantly to the side, practically chewing on his cigarette.

A white taxi finally stopped at Ryohei's insistent waving and the three vampires got into the vehicle (with Lambo sending the girls a small wink and getting a couple red faces in return). After Ryohei had informed the driver of their destination, the taxi drove off, smoothly driving through traffic.

The drive to the hotel was silent with the three teens wallowing in their own thoughts; Hayato worrying about Tsuna, Ryohei remembering the past, and Lambo wondering just how hot the girls are here in Japan. They were so caught up in their thoughts that they didn't even notice the taxi pulling up in front of a simple, two-floor apartment building until the driver shook them out of their stupor with a raised voice. The three quickly piled out of the taxi and paid their fee before walking towards the apartment building, Hayato and Lambo looking a little confused behind Ryohei who led the way.

"_What the hell are we doing here_?" Hayato asked rather gruffly as he removed his sunglasses and hung it on his shirt collar.

"_You said we needed a place to crash_," Ryohei explained, turning to raise an eyebrow at Hayato. "_I used to run by this place on my morning runs and not a lot of people live here, so I thought this would be the perfect place to be inconspicuous_."

"_I'm surprised you even know what inconspicuous means_," Hayato said with a smirk.

"_What did you say Octopus-head_?"

"_You heard me Lawn-head! Or have you gone deaf_?"

Lambo decided to step in before something erupted. "_Yare, yare, you two sure like to jump at each other's throat_," he said as he forcibly pushed the two vampires apart. "_We're here for a reason ya' know and fighting isn't going to help_."

"_Che_," Hayato spat out as he snapped his head the other way.

"_He started it_," Ryohei groused like a little kid, squinting at Hayato.

"_Well, whatever_," Lambo said, standing in between the two just in case they begin fighting again. Lambo thought that it felt rather odd to be with the other two without Tsuna around. When Hayato and Ryohei got into a fight, it was always Tsuna who pacified them. There was just something about the young pureblood that calmed everyone down to maintain the balance in their little group.

"Excuse me," said a voice and the three boys around to see an elderly woman standing in front of them. "May I help you with something?"

Lambo and Hayato blinked in confusion. Even if they were vampires, they didn't understand Japanese beyond the basic greetings. Thank the Gods that Ryohei was there to bridge the communication gap.

"Sorry to bother you," Ryohei said to the elderly woman, being as polite as he could. "But do you have a vacant apartment that we can rent?"

The woman squinted through her thick spectacles at the white-haired boy in front of her, then at the two boys standing a little way away, and then back at Ryohei. "Do I know you from somewhere young man?" she asked, scrutinizing the muscular teen. "You seem oddly familiar."

A look of apprehension flitted across Ryohei's face. "Uh, well, I-I don't think that would be p-possible since this is my first time in Namimori," he said quickly, nervous sweat appearing on his brow. He was never a good liar and even if he had a good alibi, the way he said it would always give him away.

The woman squinted at Ryohei through her thick glasses once again, and then she shrugged nonchalantly. "Hmpf, it must be my imagination. I'm an old woman after all."

Ryohei let out an indiscreet sigh of relief and guiltily thanked the Gods for old age as the woman beckoned the three to follow her, animatedly talking about why "such handsome boys would want to stay in a modest dump like my apartment building." Hayato quickly came up to Ryohei's side as they ascended the stairs to the second floor.

"_What was that all about Lawn-head_?" he asked in a hushed manner.

"_Eh, it's nothing_," Ryohei said. "_Almost got caught, that's all_."

Green eyes narrowed at the muscular teen. "_I know you risked coming back to your hometown to help find Juudaime, but you're going to have to be more careful. People just might recognize you here_."

"_Yeah, I know. No need to remind me_."

"_Goes without saying, but everyone knows just how forgetful you are_."

Ryohei glared at Hayato, who only smirked back. Behind them, Lambo sighed a bit. _How does Tsuna put up with these two?_

Soon the elderly woman – who introduced herself as Kizuita Honoko – showed them their room which was spacious enough to house the three of them, even though it was a one room apartment. Honoko-san left the three to rest up and unpack their belongings, promising them that she'll bring up some extra futons as well since there was only one in the closet. Once the boys were alone, they sat cross-legged upon the tatami mat floor, facing each other in a small triangle formation.

"_I knew I should've taken a Japanese class back home_," Lambo muttered, not liking the helpless feeling in his gut from not understanding a single word Honoko-san and Ryohei were gushing out of their mouths. "_Ever since I met Tsuna, I had the feeling that I should learn Japanese, but I didn't act upon it and now, it's biting me in the ass_."

"_Don't worry about it_," Hayato said as he rummaged through his duffel bag. Not a second later he pulled out a zip-lock bag that held what seemed to be a pair of hearing aids. "_We can use these_."

Lambo gave Hayato an incredulous look. "_Do you really think my hearing's that bad_?" he asked, a tinge of sarcasm in his tone of voice.

"_No you stupid cow_," Hayato growled as he took out a pair and handed it to the dark-haired teen, who took it with raised eyebrows. "_These are __**translators**__ made by the Vongola scientists. Just put it in your ears and you'll be able to understand a foreign language spoken to you and vice versa_."

"_Whoa, who would have thought that vampires would invent such a thing only seen in science fiction_?" Ryohei said with a grin, awed at the little devices.

"_Of course, Lawn-head_!" Hayato cried, slamming his hand on the floor as he leaned towards Ryohei. "_Don't underestimate the intelligence of your species_!"

"_Give me a break! I've only been one for three years while you two were one practically your whole lives_!" Ryohei argued, raising his voice to match Hayato's. "_And besides, I've only been in the Vongola for a year, so don't blame me if I don't know everything yet_!"

"_Tch, you're such an ignorant dumbass. Try to learn something will you_?"

Ryohei was about to open his mouth to retort when Lambo coughed loudly, gaining his friend's attention.

"_As much as I love to watch you two bicker like a cat and dog_," he said, unfazed by Hayato's glare and Ryohei's wide-eyed look. "_We have something more important at hand. Gokudera, do you know where we should start looking for Tsuna_?"

At the mention of his precious Juudaime's name, Hayato calmed down, leaning back to sit on his behind again. "_Yeah, we should start with where he was last seen; on that rooftop I saw in the police video_."

"_Do you even know where it is_?"

"_No, but I'll find out_."

Lambo sighed, feeling a little exasperated. Hayato may be an academic genius but he was brash and when he was solely focused on one thing (in this case, finding Tsuna), he had the tendency to not think things through. Sure he planned on how to get away from his sister's grasp and bring the three of them to Japan without (hopefully) arousing suspicion, but that was it. He didn't actually think on what they should do once they got to Japan and how they were supposed to find Tsuna.

But since this was Hayato, Lambo was sure that he would think of something soon enough.

"_Great! Now that that's settled, I'm going to take a nap_!" Ryohei exclaimed as he fell back on the tatami mat flooring, his arms resting behind his head as a makeshift pillow. "_Jet lag sure is bothersome_."

"_I second the motion_," Lambo said with a wide yawn.

Hayato glared incredulously at his two companions. "_Why do you two want to waste time sleeping when Juudaime's out there going through God-knows-what_?" he all but yelled. "_The sooner we act the better_!"

"_We need energy to function Stupidera_," Lambo said, looking at the silver-haired teen with one lazy eye. "_But if you want to start looking, you're welcome to do so. Just remember where this place is_."

Huffing, Hayato got to his feet, slipping the translators into his ears and his sunglasses on his face. "_You guys are no fucking help at all! I don't even know why I let you come along_!"

"_Have fun Stupidera_," Lambo said lazily as he lay down on the floor as well, yawning once again.

Grinding his teeth together and grumbling about lazy asses, Hayato stepped into his shoes and left the newly acquired apartment, leaving behind his two sleeping companions.

* * *

The reception room door slid open and a brunet head popped in, giving out a smile to the teen sitting behind the desk in front of the windows.

"Kyouya-san, I brought you lunch!" Tsuna said cheerfully, holding up a two bento boxes, one wrapped in a purple handkerchief while the other was wrapped in an orange one. Blue-grey eyes looked up from paperwork (what it was actually for, Tsuna didn't know) and a thin black eyebrow rose upon a fair forehead at the young vampire's smiling face.

"Why?" he asked, his grip on his ballpoint pen loosening.

Tsuna shrugged as he stepped inside the pretty bare room, sliding the door closed behind him. "Can't I make lunch for you when I please? A homemade meal is healthier than hot dogs or burgers anyway."

Kyouya scrutinized Tsuna, who only hummed to himself as he settled down on one of the couches and unwrapped the two bento boxes, setting them on the coffee table. Lunchtime came pretty quickly at Nami-ko that day and Kyouya didn't even realize that it was already noon, having had his nose buried in the papers that in turn buried his desk. And though he won't admit it, his stomach had been growling for the past hour, begging to be fed.

Well, food was important after all and Kyouya couldn't work on an empty stomach.

Sighing through his nose, Kyouya stood up from his seat behind the desk and walked over to the couch opposite of Tsuna, plopping down on it as he reached for his bento box. He vaguely noted the anticipated look on Tsuna's face as he removed the lid and he found that his bento box was filled with rice, egg rolls, meatballs, and a few apple slices. He eyes flickered up to Tsuna who smiled at him.

"You like?" the young vampire asked the prefect. "I was a little late to class today because I was making it."

Kyouya replied with a quiet "hn" which Tsuna took as a yes and the two picked up their pair of chopsticks to begin eating their meal (Tsuna made the same for himself). The next few minutes were spent in relative silence and Tsuna was contemplating on what kind of conversation he should have with the prefect when he noticed something. Every couple seconds or so, Kyouya would roll his head or shoulders and give out a look of discomfort, as if he had an ache that just wouldn't go away.

_That's to be expected since he was hunched over paperwork, probably for the past few hours,_ Tsuna snorted to himself as he drank the last drops of the can of melon juice he bought for both him and Kyouya. He watched as the prefect wrapped up the bento box once he was finished and then he leaned back onto the backrest of the couch and deliberately placed a hand on his neck, massaging it as his brows furrowed in contained pain. Tsuna decided that now was the time to bring it up.

"Kyouya-san does your neck hurt?" he asked and he gave out a miniscule flinch when blue-grey eyes narrowed at him.

"No," Kyouya said, dropping his hand to his lap in denial.

Tsuna let out an unconvinced snort. "Don't be stubborn. It's no use to lie to a vampire," he said as he stood up from his seat. "Here, at least let me ease the pain."

Kyouya eyed Tsuna warily as the vampire walked around the couch he was sitting on and stood behind him, placing gentle hands on the prefect's shoulders. Said prefect stiffened and raised a hand to push the smaller ones away, but those hands tightened their hold on his shoulders, causing him to pause in his actions.

"Don't be stubborn Kyouya-san," Tsuna repeated, leaning down to look at Kyouya from his right side, brown eyes twinkling from behind framed glass lenses. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

Blue-grey eyes narrowed at the smaller brunet, who only laughed softly as he straightened up. Kyouya sighed a bit, thinking that he might as well let the herbivore do what he wanted. And not a second later, the hands on his shoulders began to move, squeezing and methodically moving in circles on the sore spots that had been bothering him for a while now though he wouldn't admit it. He also wouldn't admit that the massage Tsuna was giving him felt great. All the aches and tension in his neck was ebbing away, making him feel relaxed beneath those supernatural hands. It took him most of his willpower not to groan in appreciation and Tsuna sensed that, feeling completely smug about it but tactful enough to keep his mouth shut.

Before long, Kyouya's head fell back and rested on top of the backrest, eyes closed in leisure as Tsuna continued massaging his aches away. Tsuna looked down and scrutinized the other's features; his silk-like mop of hair bathed with the color of the darkest night (and that needed not any special attention), his long sooty lashes that lightly brushed against fair cheeks, thin pale pink lips that were currently shut, a long slim neck where there was a flicker of a pulse that was filled with blood…

Tsuna's hands stopped moving as his attention was fully captivated by that pulsating vein in the prefect's neck. He was so mesmerized that he didn't notice blue-grey reveal themselves or the pair of pale pink lips moving to form words that were trying to catch his attention.

"… -bivore… Herbivore! Tsunayoshi!"

At the sound of his name, Tsuna blinked and looked back at Kyouya's face, whose lips were turned downwards in a frown. For a moment they just stared at each other. Then Tsuna let out a gasp that caused Kyouya to jump a little.

"Kyouya-san, you called me by my name!" he exclaimed, sounding genuinely shocked.

Kyouya only frowned and he straightened himself up, twisting his torso around to look at Tsuna who was still gaping at him. The prefect searched the vampire's eyes, convinced that when he had opened his eyes and looked at Tsuna just a minute or so ago, he saw those brown irises tinged with red, a surefire sign that Tsuna's vampire instincts were kicking in. Granted Kyouya had only seen those instincts once, but it was enough for him to know the signs.

And he was a bit relieved when he saw that those eyes had returned to its camouflaged brown once more.

"You know, I never thought I'd hear you say my name or even address me by my name," Tsuna said with a grin. "It's nice actually, since everyone knows me as Yoshi and not Tsuna."

"You need blood," Kyouya said blatantly, ignoring Tsuna's babbling, and just like that, the grin on the young vampire's face fell. "I saw your eyes turn red."

A look of shame flitted across Tsuna's face as he nodded his head. "I'm sorry."

"Did you bring a packet with you?" Tsuna shook his head no. "Then you have permission to leave campus. Come back before class starts."

Tsuna's eyes flickered up to Kyouya's face then traveled down to the slim neck where he could see the pulse flicker faintly. He bit his lip and steeled himself, nodding his head curtly before leaving the room. He could feel eyes on him as he did so and once he was alone in the hallway outside of the room, Tsuna let out a sigh, lifting a hand to rest on his chest, feeling his heart that was pounding a bit roughly inside of him and realizing that his thirst had dissipated for now.

It was strange. Even though he already had his intake of blood, when he was around Kyouya, he felt himself become thirsty all over again.

* * *

Hayato let out an exasperated sigh before he ran a hand through his silver hair, tugging hard at it as though it would force him to stay awake. He hasn't really slept for the past few weeks. In fact, he didn't sleep at all the week he, Lambo, and Ryohei had been staying in Namimori, his worry for Tsuna growing with each fruitless attempt to find him. He had found the building Tsuna was last seen on the day they had arrived, but there were barely any traces that a battle was waged there. Blood was expertly cleaned off of any surface and the scent of any vampire was expertly erased as well. Now they were reduced to searching the old fashion way.

A potato chip suddenly smacked Hayato's cheek and the silver-haired teen whirled around to glare fiercely at the brunet who had his arm outstretched as if he had just thrown something.

"_What_?" Hayato practically screamed at Lambo who withdrew his hand and gave his friend a rather scolding look.

"_Lighten up Gokudera_," Lambo said, opening his close right eye and peering at the silver-haired teen. "_It's not the end of the world or anything_."

Hayato growled and slammed a hand down on the table that sat in the middle of the room and was laden with junk food. "_WHY DON'T YOU GUYS GET SERIOUS_?" he yelled at his two companions who weren't fazed in the slightest by his yelling (Lambo just looked on lazily while Ryohei was too busy cheering on some boxer in a boxing match he was watching on their newly acquired television set). "_WE'RE HERE TO FIND JUUDAIME AND ALL YOU'RE DOING IS SITTING AROUND, EATING JUNK FOOD AND YELLING AT AN INANIMATE OBJECT THAT'S SPEWING OUT USELESS BOXING MATCHES_!"

At that, Ryohei ceased in cheering on **Pacman** in his fight against the **Golden Boy** and turned to glare at Hayato. "_What did you say about boxing_?" he said in a grave voice.

"_I said, useless boxing matches_," Hayato growled through gritted teeth, returning Ryohei's glare with just as much intensity.

It took most of Lambo's willpower not to sigh in exasperation. Seeing that the apocalypse just might come if he didn't do something, he turned off the TV before standing up and stepping in between the two oddly-haired teens before they decided to bring out the big guns.

"_Okay, we know that we're not on vacation_," Lambo said, hands on his hips and looking down on both Hayato and Ryohei who were still glaring at each other. "_And I'm sorry that we took it that way. But all of us know that Tsuna can take care of himself and we don't even know for sure if he was or wasn't captured by the enemy_."

"_We still have to try looking for him_," Hayato said, glancing up at Lambo with narrow eyes. "_I won't believe for a second that Juudaime has been captured unless there is solid proof_."

Lambo sighed dejectedly. He then gestured to Ryohei, muttering to the white-haired teen to put his shirt on before heading to the genkan and slipping on his shoes. "_We might have a better chance of finding him at night_," he explained.

Trying to hide the grateful smile that wanted to appear on his face, Hayato scrambled up and went to put on his shoes as well while Ryohei pulled on a shirt (he tends to take it off when watching boxing) and followed his friend's examples.

_It is gonna be a long night,_ Lambo inwardly sighed as Ryohei brought up the subject of boxing again.

* * *

"So, do you get it?" Tsuna inquired for the umpteenth time as he looked over his glasses at Takeshi, who was sitting across him on the table, poring over the questionnaire before him. That Friday night Takeshi had asked Tsuna to help him with their math homework, since math was one of the baseball star's weakest subjects. They were currently sitting in the restaurant at a table near the back so they wouldn't be too distracted by the customers flitting in and out.

Why Tsuyoshi wanted the two to sit there was beyond Takeshi, though Tsuna had a pretty good idea why.

"Well…" Takeshi drawled as he scribbled something on a piece of scratch paper. "No, not really," he said as he showed Tsuna the piece of paper. Instead of seeing mathematical formulas Tsuna saw a chibi Takeshi with question marks above his head. Tsuna nearly fell over on his face as Takeshi laughed out loud, scratching the back of his head in apology.

"Okay then…" Tsuna nearly growled out as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Now he knew what Reborn felt like when the hitman was tutoring him in his studies. He must apologize to the man for being so frustrating once he returns to Italy.

"Gomen Yoshi," Takeshi said with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm just no good at this stuff."

Tsuna's brow twitched at the words no good. "No, don't say that," he said, giving his friend a determined gaze. "We just have to find a way to incorporate these formulas to something you're familiar with. I'm sure we can find a way."

At that the baseball star grinned brightly. "Thanks Yoshi! You know, you're really smart! I don't think I could go through the year without having met you!"

"Takeshi-kun, we only met a few days ago."

"But still, don't ever leave my side okay? I kinda feel like I need you."

Brown eyes blinked at Takeshi's words, then Tsuna smiled and nodded slightly at the human in front of him. He didn't have the heart to tell Takeshi that he wasn't going to stay for long. He had already been away from home for far too long and he was sure that he had to return sooner rather than later. In the process he had to erase the memories of each human that knew him closely and it pained him a bit that someone like Takeshi had grown attached to him. But it was all for the best he supposed.

"Maa, I'm gonna go get us some snacks," Takeshi said suddenly, snapping Tsuna out of his small stupor. "I'm gonna have to go to the convenient store though since Oyaji doesn't like Western junk food filling up the fridge. Do you want anything in particular Yoshi?"

"Uh, no, anything's fine with me."

"Okay, I won't be long."

Tsuna watched as Takeshi stood up from his seat and walked out of the restaurant, telling his father where he was going. Two pairs of brown eyes then swept over the restaurant, glancing at each customer before making eye contact with the other pair. Wise and aged eyes narrowed a fraction at the youthful ones that were staring right back at him, but the expression left as quickly as it appeared and Tsuyoshi grinned at Tsuna, waving a knife in the air as if nothing had happened. Tsuna waved back with his hand and gave the middle-aged man a smile before turning back to his homework, making himself look busy by scribbling on a piece of blank paper.

Something was up with that man and Tsuna had an inkling feeling that he knew what it was.

Meanwhile, about two blocks down the street, Takeshi was in a convenient store, skimming his eyes over the selection of juice cans. His hand hovered above a can of apple juice, then moved on to a can of pineapple juice, and then moved to a can of coconut milk before moving back to the apple juice can. He couldn't seem to decide on which one he was going to take and he only had enough money for two juice cans and a pack of potato chips.

Sighing and finally deciding, Takeshi grabbed the coconut milk and apple juice cans before heading towards the counter, having already picked up a bag of shrimp-flavored chips. He happily hummed to himself as he waited behind a silver-haired teen who looked around his own age and had just purchased a pack of cigarettes (how he was able to do that, Takeshi wasn't so sure). He waited for a moment longer and he couldn't stop himself from overhearing what the teen was saying.

"Oi, you seen this person?" the teen asked in a gruff voice as he held up a picture for the cashier to inspect only to receive a negative response from the oddly dull-eyed cashier.

_Hm? He lost someone?_ Takeshi thought absentmindedly. He felt a little sorry for the person in front of him though. He knew what it felt like to lose someone important.

He watched as the silver-haired teen tsk-ed at the negative response, pocketing the picture he had. He didn't even say thanks as he turned away from the counter and headed towards the exit, allowing Takeshi to have a glimpse of his face.

And how Takeshi was stunned into a standstill! He was awed at how stunning the silver-haired teen was; fair skin, well-kept silver hair, sea-green eyes that furrowed with what seemed like worry, and a small, button nose. A slender hand reached up to brush away a stray strand of hair and Takeshi was mesmerized at how graceful that ring-and-wristband-adorned hand moved in such a simple act. He wasn't so sure as to why he was so awed by the other male's looks, but Takeshi continued to stare unabashedly at the silver-haired teen even after the other had left the store. It was only until the cashier raised his voice to catch his attention he snapped out of his trance and quickly placed his purchases on the counter.

Takeshi had to suppress the need to drum his fingers against the counter as he waited for the cashier to ring up his purchases and give him his change. Once his food was placed into a plastic bag, he gave a polite smile to the cashier before practically running out of the convenient store to try and catch up with that silver-haired teen. He had seen the teen turn left out of the store so that's where he headed, but he couldn't find a silver head anywhere. In fact, there was barely anyone out on the street that night which served for a slightly creepy scene. But Takeshi was undeterred in his search for that silver-haired teen, having already ventured five blocks away from the convenient store.

And his search suddenly came to a stop when he glanced into an alleyway as he passed by and saw a glimpse of silver and red.

Takeshi stood by the mouth of the alley; swallowing a bit of his saliva and feeling his heart thump a bit harder against his chest. He watched as the silver-haired teen, with his back unto the baseball star, lit a cigarette and took a puff, causing smoke to swirl around his head in wavy patterns. He didn't know why he was doing it or what was prompting him to do it, but Takeshi found himself walking towards the teen, a hand reaching out to grab a shoulder…

Suddenly he was slammed against a concrete wall, white stars popping before his eyes as his head was thrown backwards to bash against the wall and causing him to drop his plastic bag in which the contents clattered to the grimy ground. Takeshi grunted in pain, the back of his head throbbing where he had hit the wall, and he felt two hands harshly grip the front of his jacket, tobacco-scented breath blowing over his face. Wincing, Takeshi opened his eyes (which had closed shut of its own accord) and his breath hitched in his throat when his eyes saw the sight before him.

It was the silver-haired teen, face contorted in anger, brows furrowed sharply and green eyes crackling with emotion. Takeshi never thought that someone who looked so angry could still look beautiful.

"Who are you?" the other teen growl, his smoky breath washing over Takeshi's face again. His cigarette must've been discarded before attacking the taller teen. "Are you part of Millefiore or Vongola?" When Takeshi failed to respond, the teen shook him roughly. "Answer me damnit before I blow your fucking head off!"

Takeshi blinked, having been lost in the other teen's intense gaze, and then he laughed, taking the other teen aback. "Gomen, but I don't know what you mean by mill foyer or bong gorilla," laughed the taller teen, scratching the back of his aching head out of habit.

The silver-haired teen – who was no doubt Gokudera Hayato – looked dumbfounded as he stared at the laughing Takeshi. He couldn't detect any lying from the tall stranger, so that meant he was telling the truth of not knowing Millefiore or Vongola (how did those turn to mill foyer and bong gorilla?). And even if he was a human correspondent or was part of the human division, he looked way too young to be involved with any family.

Hayato's grip on Takeshi loosened and the silver-haired teen took a step back, scowl appearing on his face again. Great, now he had to deal with a human. He hated dealing with humans despite the irony at how he was half human himself.

"Ano," Takeshi said tentatively and Hayato's eyes narrowed at him. "Ano sa, I'm Yamamoto Takeshi. What's your name?"

Hayato had to raise an eyebrow at the wide grin Takeshi gave him. Either the taller teen was very bold or very stupid to actually ask the name of his would-be attacker after being handled so roughly.

"That's on a need to know basis and you don't need to know," Hayato said before turning on his heel and heading out of the alley. A little bit taken aback, Takeshi practically stumbled after Hayato, his head spinning a bit from the force of him hitting it against the wall. It would subside eventually since he was used to pain, being a sportsman and all.

"W-Wait!" Takeshi called out, reaching out to grab Hayato's shoulder but before he could, the shorter teen spun around and slapped the hand away, a glare being thrown at him.

"Leave me the fuck alone," Hayato growled out. "You don't want to get involved with me."

"But I just-"

"Shut up and stop following me you moron!"

Hayato turned to leave once again, but before he could even take a step, a feeling of vertigo rushed over him, causing him to stagger a bit. He vaguely heard an "Oi! Are you okay?" from the tall teen that wouldn't leave him alone and he felt hands holding his biceps, preventing him from falling over. Hayato tried to push the teen away, but his throat was quickly feeling dry and a delicious scent filled his nostrils, a scent that made his heart race and his head spin.

It was the delicious scent of blood.

_Crap_, Hayato scolded himself, regretting putting off his feeding in favor of looking for his precious Juudaime. _God-fucking-damnit! Why did I do something so… stupid… shit, I'm so… thirsty…_

Hayato was a halfblood vampire, a hybrid conceived in and born from a human womb. Though he had the enhanced abilities every vampire had as well as his own unique ability, Hayato had the weakness that every halfblood had; a high metabolism for blood. A halfblood's vampire and human side could not coexist peacefully without the right amount of blood in his or her system, but because of their high metabolism for blood, they have to near constantly drink blood to prevent their animalistic instincts from surfacing. To halfbloods, blood to them was what water was to humans though the consequences were direr; if they don't drink blood at least three times a day, they start to go rogue.

Halfblood also aren't so adept in controlling or suppressing their bloodlust. They can go rogue in the blink of an eye. Hayato knew all that and he also knew that if Takeshi didn't leave his presence soon, then he was going to be Hayato's next meal.

"Oi, you don't look so good," Takeshi said, peering at Hayato's pale face. "Maybe I should take you to the hospital- augh!"

For the second time that night, Takeshi was slammed against the wall but with notably more force than last time. More white stars popped before his eyes and the throbbing in his head increased tenfold. He cracked his eyes open and opened his mouth to yell at the silver-haired teen but he stopped short when he saw glowing red eyes staring at him with such a bloodthirsty expression that Takeshi was actually too stunned to speak.

"Oooh, you have pretty tasty-smelling blood," Hayato breathed out, his animalistic side surfacing as he grabbed hold of Takeshi's throat, squeezing hard enough to choke the taller teen. Slightly tanned hands automatically reached up to claw at the hand gripping his throat, trying desperately to remove it, but it was to no avail to the supernatural strength that held him. "Hmmm, I can tell you're a tough one," Hayato said, leaning in to brush his lips against a long and slender neck, shivering at the sound of blood pumping through Takeshi's veins. "I just might take my time with you." Lips parted to reveal long fangs and he gently bit down on tanned flesh, just enough to cause Takeshi to wince but not enough to actually draw blood.

Hayato chuckled, causing the baseball star to shiver at how raspy and feral it sounded. The human was definitely afraid, more afraid then he had ever felt before.

"Who knows? You just might like it, human."

**

* * *

A/N:** Well, there you go, a little 8059 service for you. I have also introduced Lambo and Ryohei, the latter of which I have obviously made a bit OOC but there's a reason for that, and the former being an "adult" and more mature than his anime/manga counterpart. But I wonder if this chapter flowed nicely… review, yes? I gives you cookie if you do (:3)

**Translators** – Yet another one of my ass-pulls (:P) Think Johnny Quest… or maybe even those really handy earplugs from Kyo Kara Maou.

**Pacman & Golden Boy** – Reference to two boxing champions, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and Oscar "Golden Boy" De la Hoya. I wanted to cameo Pacman because he's the Pound for Pound King, having won 7 titles from 7 different divisions (the first in history) and he's Filipino! Also, he had just defeated Joshua Clottey last Saturday, March 13 (2010), and that's enough for the whole Philippines to celebrate, yush? (:3)

**

* * *

Omake:**

A breeze blew through the forest, rustling the leaves on the branches and causing those on the ground to swirl around the two figures standing in a small clearing, both male but the brown-haired one being shorter than the black-haired one. Tsuna stood before Kyouya, face solemn while Kyouya's was impassive though his eyes showed slight wonder and even fear.

"How… old are you?" Kyouya asked, his eyes on Tsuna's figure.

"Seventeen," Tsuna answered without much hesitation.

"How long have you been seventeen?"

That was where Tsuna hesitated. "… A while…"


	7. Follow

**A/N:** OMG I'm alive! OMG the story was updated! OMG what took me so long? LOL, that's what is going through your mind, isn't it dear reader? Well, I'm sorry about the long wait. I was really distracted (SasuNaru and Drarry fics do that to you :P) and now that it's summer vacation here I find myself being extremely lazy… But the good news is this story has almost garnered 100 reviews! Yet the bad news is the next chapter might take just as long in updating as this chapter… Well, there's more info at the bottom as well as my ranting. First, please enjoy chapter 7 :D

BTW, the title comes from the song "Susundan" by Callalily. It means "follow" and I think it is the perfect song for Hayato on his feelings towards Tsuna… in a loyal "You are precious to me" way instead of the "I love you and will follow you everywhere" way that the song originally implies.

* * *

**Chapter VII:**

**Follow**

* * *

It was quiet. The streets were more or less empty since at this time, people would be out in the more public and fun-filled places of the city or at home. There was the occasional barking of a dog or mewling of a cat in the distance and once or twice, a car would idle by, the drivers having either a destination to go to or none at all.

Not a soul could see the two figures hidden in the shadows of an alleyway, one in pain while the either was cackling gleefully.

"Mmm…" the silver-haired, red-eyed teen hummed, bringing his blood-covered hand up to his lips where he licked a fingertip. "Your blood must be the sweetest I've ever tasted! You are a pure being and it's been a while since I've had the blood of one."

Takeshi flinched at Hayato's tone of voice. It wasn't like the gruff one he had heard moments earlier. Now, the silver-haired teen practically sounded inhuman, his voice scratchy and mocking as he cackled at the bloody body before him. At least he hadn't bitten the baseball star yet, always having loved playing with his food before eating. Instead, he used his sharp claws to slash across any part of flesh he could reach, drawing blood from the not-so-shallow wounds thereafter licking the gashes clean so that his prey would not fall unconscious from blood loss. The way he fed on the dark-haired teen left said teen fatigued and unsure of what he should do. Takeshi knew that he had to run, knew that he would be killed eventually, but his body was unresponsive to what his brain was saying. He couldn't put up a fight, either afraid of harming the beautiful being in front of him (no matter how unlikely it seemed) or afraid of being killed while doing so.

His body was slumped against the brick wall of the building that stood to one side of the alley. His clothes were torn and bloodied in many different places, his hair was disheveled, and his limbs shook from the pain, the fear, and the cold of the night. He felt helpless, like when he was eight, weeping openly as he watched the doctors try to resuscitate his mother who had been attacked and lost so much blood. He couldn't do a thing to save her then and now, he couldn't do a thing to save himself…

A gleeful cackle interrupted his thoughts and Takeshi's brown eyes looked up at manic red ones, pale pink lips pulling back in a wide grin.

"That face. I love that face you're making," said Hayato, his fangs glinting in the artificial light mixed with the radiance of the moon. "That look of hopelessness… that's what I love to see in my prey when they realize they've got no chance, that they're gonna die."

Hayato's silver head fell forward onto his chest and his shoulders shook with suppressed laughter, Takeshi only hearing snickering. Brown eyes narrowed and the baseball star placed a hand on the wall behind him, steadying himself. Hell, as beautiful as the creature is, he was still dangerous and obviously insane. And even though he knew that he just might lose his life right here, Takeshi was sure as hell not going to go down without a fight.

Still grinning, Hayato raised his head and looked at Takeshi, grin growing wider at those narrowed brown eyes.

"I take it back," the vampire said, red eyes gleaming. "I much prefer that defiant look in your eyes right now. It's more fun when you _think_ you actually have a chance to escape me. Yes… I wish all of my other prey were stupid enough to glare at me like what you're doing right now."

Hayato closed the distance between them, a hand reaching out intending to wrap long fingers around a thick neck. But another tanner hand shot out and slapped the paler hand away, allowing a small window of opportunity for Takeshi to make a run for it. Sneakers thundered upon the cement ground as Hayato laughed hard.

Takeshi skidded to a stop, his eyes going wide when he saw that the silver-haired creature had appeared in front of him, blocking the entrance to the alleyway. The grin never left Hayato's face as he raised a fist and buried it into the dark-haired teen's stomach, causing him to buckle and fall to his knees, coughing and wheezing as pain rocketed through his abdomen. A foot then collided with Takeshi's chin, making him fly backwards and crash into a couple of trash bins at the far side of the alleyway.

The baseball fanatic gasped as he rolled off of the metal bins. Pain racked through his body, his limbs twitching and his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath despite the sharp aches and thinking that it was a miracle (or probably a stroke of dumb luck or pitiful mercy from the creature) that none of his bones broke from the harsh kick. Hayato came up behind him, grabbing a fistful of his torn shirt and forcing him to stand. His knees buckled as a hand grasped the front of his shirt, keeping him in an upright position. He was taller than Hayato, but because of his weak state, he was now squatting in front of the vampire, almost eye level with him.

"I have to admit, you really are a tough one," Hayato said, his demonic eyes gleaming as he smirked at Takeshi. "But I'm very hungry and the time for playing is over. Don't worry, you'll barely feel any pain, I guarantee it." Hayato ducked his head into the crook of Takeshi's neck, smelling sweat, blood, and fear on the taller teen who shivered at the warm breath puffing onto his skin. "Goodbye, Yamamoto Takeshi."

Not a second later, a pair of fangs pierced Takeshi's skin and dug into his flesh, causing the teen to wince at the pain. But then something strange happened. The pain was suddenly replaced with pleasure so intense that he could hardly feel anything else, just that pleasure that ran though every nerve in his being. It enticed a low moan to escape his lips, rumbling through his throat and heaving chest, his eyes slipping shut to further intensify the feeling. To have a vampire sucking out your blood actually felt _good_ and it frightened him that such a horrendous act could cause ecstasy. It seems that all the myths that the general populace knew about vampires was just a big pile of bullshit.

He didn't know how long the Feeding lasted, maybe three or four sucks, but it wasn't long before Takeshi felt the weight of Hayato's body disappear and he could vaguely hear thuds and a new voice talking. But he was quickly getting lightheaded and pain returned to his neck which he knew must be bleeding profusely. And even though he didn't lose too much blood, he was exhausted and sleep was swiftly claiming him. Fortunately he felt hands, smaller and gentler hands, catch him before he fell onto the cold, hard ground and his bleary eyes looked up to see concerned brown ones looking back at him before his world tumbled into darkness.

* * *

Lambo and Ryohei looked down at the modest little house from their perch on a neighboring rooftop, the former standing with his hands in his pockets, looking a tiny bit disinterested, and the latter sitting on the edge of the roof, legs swinging in the open air. The house they were looking at was like the other houses in the neighborhood, simple and a mix of Japanese and Western, but to Ryohei, this was a special house, one he had lived in since he was born up to three years ago when he "died" and became a vampire.

The curtains on the window facing the two vampires on the rooftop were drawn open, revealing a young and innocent fourteen-year-old face who was smiling slightly as she studied. Sasagawa Kyoko, Ryohei's younger sister, was currently doing her homework, completely oblivious to the two pairs of eyes watching her and that her long-thought-dead older brother was actually alive and right there, outside her window.

"_So, she's Kyoko_," Lambo said, taking in the girl's sweet and pretty face as Ryohei nodded in confirmation. "_She's pretty, but a bit too innocent for my taste_."

"_Good, 'cuz if you even think of making a move on her, you're going to find yourself tasting your own hotdog and eggs and I'm not talking about breakfast_," Ryohei said very casually which caused Lambo to feel a shiver of nervousness travel up his spine.

"_Geez, no need to get violent_," Lambo muttered, rolling his eyes a bit. _Older brothers and their sister complex…_ "_Anyway, we shouldn't stick around here. She or your parents might see you. Or anyone else who can recognize your face for that matter_."

"_I know_," Ryohei said, his voice losing its roughness and gaining a slight velvety tone. "_I haven't seen them in a long time Lambo and I'm sort of surprised to see that they're still living in the same house despite everything that happened_."

"_Surprised… yet relieved_?" Lambo suggested and he received a slow nod in return.

The pair became quiet, just content to wallow in their own thoughts. Not a few seconds later Lambo had looked away from the window, already bored with looking at Ryohei's sweet and innocent-looking little sister (he was mildly surprised that girls like those still existed in this era). Ryohei, however, drifted off into the past, his eyes unfocusing as he remembered how exactly he met the person who turned him into what he was and pulled him away from the world of mortals.

**/\\\**

_It was early morning, the sun barely peeking over the horizon with wisps of mist hanging above the concrete ground. Ryohei sat on the stark-white bed with the freshly washed sheets, bandaged hands laying unmoving on his lap and grey eyes staring out of the open window. A breeze would flutter the soft blue curtains every once in a while, but the thirteen-year-old barely noticed it. There was no emotion in his eyes and none adorning his face. He looked hollow, empty, and sad, too sad for a young teenager._

_But of course, not every teenager was diagnosed with leukemia._

_He had had the disease for as long as he could remember, but doctors told him that he was born with it. He was also told that he was very lucky to have lived thirteen years of his life with it. It was hard on his family, especially his little sister who loved her brother with all her heart, but it was extremely hard on Ryohei himself. He had been deprived of living a normal life, his hopes and dreams were taken from him. The doctors were doing all they could to save him, with the numerous therapies and medications he had been going through, but Ryohei knew it was pointless. He was going to die sooner or later and what the doctor and his family were doing was only prolonging the inevitable._

_But even with his sickness and bouts of depression (evident with the bandages around his hands which were the result of punching the wall in anger), Ryohei was far from suicidal. He still found happiness and excitement in the little things that surrounded him. He still loved to watch boxing, his favorite sport as well as his father's, on the television, still loved being visited by his sister and friends from school, still loved to taste his mother or sister's home-cooked meals. He might know that his time was coming, but he was content with living what remained of his life in simple happiness._

_And this morning, Ryohei was waiting for the one person that always lifted his spirits on dreary, emotionless mornings such as this._

_The clock on the wall chimed, showing that it was six in the morning. Ryohei took it as his cue to slip out of the hospital bed and saunter over to the open window, feeling a cold morning wind brush against his face. Grey eyes looked down at the street, anticipating, expecting, and waiting._

_Soon his ears picked up the unmistakable sound of rubber soles pounding on the concrete ground in a rhythm that suggested the person was jogging. Not a second later, Ryohei saw a blond man jog into his sight, slightly sweaty sun-kissed hair sticking to his forehead. The man was young, maybe around his mid-twenties, and he was tall and handsome with enthusiastic blue eyes and a well-muscled body. Today he was wearing camouflage pants, black combat boots, and a white wifebeater. He wasn't wearing his usual headband today, though it wasn't anything to be missed._

_It had started when Ryohei was once again checked into the hospital because of collapsing in school, which was roughly a month ago. His period of health had deteriorated and he was angry that he had to be holed up in the hospital once again. He didn't sleep at all that night, mostly because he was fuming, but when morning came, the first streaks of sunlight filtering through the glass panes, he stood by the window, taking the sight of the sun's rays spreading over the rooftops of the city. He was at least glad that his parents checked him into a small hospital which was tucked into a more quiet part of the city where there weren't many cars passing by to disturb the patients._

_That was when the blond man came jogging around the corner, clad in a red track suit. Ryohei had watched him run down the street to the other side where he disappeared around the corner. At first he greatly envied the man who looked like he was at the top of his game. Ryohei himself couldn't jog like that anymore, at least not for long periods of time. He would only get tired and probably collapse if he pushed himself too hard. But as the days passed, Ryohei found himself admiring the blond man, who jogged past the hospital every morning. He never seemed tired and was just bursting with energy, like how Ryohei used to be. Once, the teen saw the blond man chat with a nurse who was just leaving from her graveyard shift and he was all smiles, grins, and laughter._

_Ryohei was still envious of the man, but seeing him made really did lift the teen's spirits for some reason._

_Back in the present, Ryohei saw the blond man stop in front of the hospital gates, chest heaving and sweat glinting on his fair skin, which was so unlike Ryohei's tan. Blue eyes then flickered up to the window where the teen was leaning on the windowsill. The blond man flashed him a grin and Ryohei grinned back, holding up a fist and pumping it once to show enthusiasm. After first seeing the blond man, it didn't take long for the other to see him. It sort of became a routine for them to greet each other in the morning. For Ryohei, it felt like if he didn't greet that man, it was a sign that he has reached the end of his line._

_After throwing the teen a two-fingered salute, the blond man continued his jog with Ryohei watching him until he was out of sight. The teen then returned to his bed, spirits lifted and smiling, ready to face another day full of chemo therapy and choking down medicine._

_That afternoon, Ryohei's sister visited him once school was over. Their mother (who visited her son everyday) had left them alone to talk and Kyoko went on about asking if her oniichan was alright and if he was taking his medicine and following the doctor's orders. The teen waved his hand in dismissal, not wanting to talk about his illness._

"_Kyoko, I want to get out of here!" Ryohei whined, pulling at the bed sheet that he was gnawing on in frustration. "I'm going insane to the EXTREME being holed up in here!"_

_Kyoko put on her usual worried face for her brother. "Oniichan, you know you can't leave the hospital! If you miss a session, you'll get even… sicker…"_

_Ryohei noticed that concerned look, but he was determined in getting out of that would-be place of healing. "C'mon Kyoko! Just sneak me out for a couple hours, please?" The teen put on his bet puppy dog pout for his sister, hoping that it will break her. "For me?" Thankfully, it did._

_Despite Kyoko's worries of getting caught, they planned their little trip for the next day. That night, Ryohei could barely sleep because of the excitement he felt and for once, he over slept that morning, forgetting to greet the blond man who jogged by and who hopefully glanced up at the windows but not seeing the teen with a bright grin._

_Saturday was a bit busy since it was the time where visitors would swarm into the hospital, having time off from their work or school and being able to visit their sick loved ones. But the Sasagawa siblings were able to slip past security in the not-so-chaos. In the simple guise of talking a walk around the garden, they were able to sneak through the front doors and out into the public. Ryohei grinned widely once he was in the clear and he stretched his arms up over his head, yelling in happiness._

"_Oniichan! Not so loud!" Kyoko whined, still very conscious of getting caught._

"_Sorry Kyoko, but I'm just so excited!" Ryohei said, rubbing the back of his bandana-adorned head (he had lost his hair from the chemo). "Let's go to the arcade first!"_

_With that, Ryohei gripped his little sister's hand and pulled her towards the general direction of the arcade. Even though she was worried about her brother's health and the fact that they will be in huge trouble when they get back to the hospital, Kyoko smiled and was giddy for it has been a long while since she has seen her oniichan so happy._

_Their day was relatively normal, but was a happy one. After a few hours of gaming at the arcade (where Kyoko felt out of place since she wasn't much of a gamer) they went off to the park where they just walked and had ice cream. They even played on the playground, acting like little kids as they climbed atop the jungle gym and swung on the swings. When it neared lunchtime they went to the nearest burger joint which Ryohei appreciated greatly since hospital food wasn't all that good for some daft reason. When their stomachs were full, they decided it was best to return to the hospital, since Ryohei's energy was draining considerably (which saddened Kyoko a bit since she knew just how much energy her brother used to have). They talked about random things; school, what they watched on TV, what was happening at home. It was nice since Ryohei felt like he was normal again._

_The two stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change so that they could cross along with the other people who were waiting. Just then, a couple of Ryohei's friends appeared, out on a weekend trip themselves, and the boxing enthusiast recounted his day sneaking out of the hospital with his little sister for some fun. There was laughter, some joking around, and a few concerned gazes directed at the sickly Ryohei who didn't really look all that sickly since he was grinning so broadly. But since Ryohei was distracted by his friends, Kyoko was left alone to watch the street lights._

_Beside the eleven-year-old girl was a five-year-old holding a ball in one hand while his other was held tightly in his mother's grasp. Kyoko shifted in her stance, accidently bumping into the little boy and causing him to lose grip of his ball, sending it bouncing into the street. With a quick apology to the little boy, Kyoko stepped off the curb and briskly jogged over to the ball that sat a few feet in front of her on the crosswalk, not even looking to see if there were any cars approaching._

_She didn't notice the one coming straight at her. She did, however, hear her brother shout out her name. And the next thing she knew, she felt a push and she harshly fell to the ground just as there was a screech of tires and a loud thud accompanied with breaking glass and the gasps and screams of the other pedestrians._

_When Kyoko looked up despite the pain that throbbed at her right side, her eyes went wide when she saw her brother lying amongst a pool of blood, glass shards stuck into his skin and grey eyes looking blankly up at the sky._

_The panicked air was pierced with her scream._

**/\\\**

Ryohei shut his eyes tight as he relived that horrible day. Even though he had just been run over, he was conscious enough to hear Kyoko scream her sorrow, something that haunted his memories for the last three years. Of course, he was immediately rushed to the hospital and his parents along with Kyoko and his friends were there, hoping and praying that he would live. But the accident coupled with his illness was a bad combination, leaving his body in shambles.

**/\\\**

_Laying on the operating table with a handful of doctors and nurses surrounding him like he was some kind of alien creature that they thrived in dissecting, Ryohei suddenly remembered that he did not greet that blond man that morning, which was probably why he had that accident. The teen found himself regretting not waking up early to greet him because if he did, he might've lived longer despite how utterly ridiculous that sounded. He should've regretted going out at all or even leaving his sister to talk to friends. And even though he knew that he was going to die someday, even without getting into that accident, he was still a teenager, a kid, and he found himself fearing death even when the doctors were trying hard to revive him._

_That was when, to his surprise, he noticed the blond man standing at his side, his face calm and his being probably invisible to those wearing scrubs since they continued with the surgery, not noticing the intruder. Ryohei himself felt confused that he was actually conscious through all this, but then he realized that he wasn't looking through his own eyes, but through the eyes of his spirit which had left his body; an out of body experience._

"_Do you want to live?" the blond man said, staring at Ryohei's body and not realizing that the boy's spirit was watching him. "I can give you new life and powers beyond your imagination, kora." Ryohei tried to speak but found that he couldn't. He was a spirit after all and his voice was lost to the ears of the living. "But if I do grant you life you are going to have to leave your old one. You will never see your family and friends again. You're going to have to die in their eyes, kora."_

_That saddened Ryohei. He wanted to live of course because, damnit, he was still just a kid and he was afraid of death! But he would rather die than live a life where his loved ones thought he was dead. He wanted to protest, to tell the blond man to let him die in peace. But his words fell onto unhearing ears and he watched in horror as the blond leaned down, lips brushing against his pale neck._

"_You may hate me later, but I can not bear to see you die, kora," Ryohei heard the blond man whisper and a second later, fangs peeked out from behind those lips before burying into his neck._

**/\\\**

"_Did you ever hate him_?" Lambo's voice carried through the still air, snapping Ryohei out of his reminiscing. The boxing enthusiast sighed before hopping up onto his feet and slipping his hands into his pants pockets.

"_I did at first_," he confessed, eyes leaving his sister's form and straying up to the night sky where a glowing moon was nestled between clusters of stars. "_I resented him so much that I fought him long and hard. I refused any kind of assistance from him and even denied my bloodlust. But when it became all too much for me, when I almost slaughtered more then one innocent human, Colonnello-shishou was there to hold me back and beat some sense into me_."

Lambo nodded and Ryohei laughed a little but there was no humor behind it. The brunet had heard about those young humans who turned. They were denied of everything they once were; family, friends, dreams. They had to start over, begin a new life as one of the "undead" and leave everything behind. Lambo himself can not even imagine what kind of horror that brought, since he was a rare child vampire (having turned when he was only five) and didn't live such a normal life. He presumed that death was a much more preferable fate.

"_How do you feel about him now_?" Lambo asked slowly.

Ryohei turned and grinned at his friend. "_Hey, it wouldn't be like me to hate him forever because of that, right_?" the white-haired teen said. "_Besides, it's better to accept things that happened than deny them. It isn't healthy doing the latter_."

Lambo nodded again, not having the heart to point out that Ryohei hadn't actually answered his question. They stood on the roof for a while longer until Kyoko had turned the lights off in her room and fell asleep on her frilly pink bed.

"_Well, we should go_," Lambo said, breaking the silence once again. "_We have to continue looking for Tsuna_."

"_Yeah_!" was Ryohei's enthusiastic response and a second later, the rooftop was vacated, the two vampires having jumped off and went on their way.

* * *

Takeshi had been gone for twenty minutes, which was too long for just a trip down the street for a couple snacks. Tsuna had begun worrying when ten minutes had passed but now that it was already twenty minutes, Tsuna was practically panicking, a trait he had never really grown out of despite his skill in hiding it now. So many theories passed through his mind; was Takeshi in an accident? Did Millefiore locate Tsuna again and kidnapped the human for bait? Did Takeshi run into a member of the vampire community and was now lying dead in an alley, drained of life?

Deciding that he couldn't just sit in the restaurant and wait for the taller teen to return (_if_ he returned), Tsuna pushed his chair back and headed to the door, glad that Tsuyoshi was currently in the kitchen, grabbing some more fish. Once outside TakeSushi, Tsuna lightly sniffed the air, detecting Takeshi's scent easily and following it down the street. He soon came upon the convenient store where Takeshi's scent disappeared into, but Tsuna knew that the teen wasn't in there anymore. And along with the baseball star's scent was another, very familiar scent that he hadn't smelled in a long while. With his heart suddenly pounding harder against his chest, Tsuna continued to follow Takeshi's scent, noticing that it went the same way as that other familiar scent.

Soon, he rounded a corner and his eyes fell upon a horrible sight.

There was Hayato, his back unto Tsuna, and it was clear that his fangs were buried in Takeshi's neck, said teen looking like he was in a state of pure bliss as the halfblood sucked out his life fluid. Tsuna's face contorted into anger and he rushed forwards, catching the halfblood off guard as he grabbed the silver-haired teen's neck and forcibly pulled him away from Takeshi. The force of the pull was enough to send Hayato into a wall, nearly cracking the bricks as he slammed into it.

"Takeshi-kun!" Tsuna cried, grasping the swiftly falling unconscious teen before he could make contact with the ground. Bleary brown eyes looked up at him and dry lips moved to say words but no sound came out. Then, those brown eyes slipped shut and the tall body in Tsuna's arms went limp as unconsciousness seized him.

Biting his lower lip in nervousness, Tsuna tilted Takeshi's head so he could have a clear view of the puncture wounds there. Noting how pure the teen smelled, Tsuna leaned in and licked the wounds clean, completely healing them with his saliva and tasting his blood's sweetness. It was a good thing that Tsuna could control his bloodlust to an extent or he would've snapped as well.

_I hope he didn't lose too much blood,_ Tsuna thought as he gently propped Takeshi against the wall. His still-brown eyes raked over the taller teen's limp form and he noticed the numerous rips and tears in his clothing and the blood that soaked at the edges of the tears. The mere sight of it made Tsuna's blood boil.

"Urgh… you fucking shrimp!"

Tsuna turned his head to the side and he glimpsed Hayato staggering to his feet, a hand rubbing his head probably trying to get rid of a headache. Those usually green eyes were still gleaming red, which showed that his thirst has yet to be satiated. Tsuna has dealt with the halfblood going rogue before, but each time was always difficult for Hayato's alter ego, the more vampirific side of him, was even more hot-headed and unpredictable then the human side. Plus, he didn't recognize friend from foe, only those who he can drink from or not.

"I'm going to kill you for ruining my meal!" Hayato screeched before lunging at Tsuna, clawed hands swiping at the shorter boy's torso.

Fortunately, Tsuna was able to move away, simultaneously grabbing onto the silver-haired teen's arm and swinging him around, making him fly towards the wall once again. But this time, Hayato's reflexes kicked in and he tucked his feet beneath him, landing on the bricks before flipping down to the ground. Tsuna took a fighting stance, gripping his fists in front of him, and Hayato chuckled, his lips pulled back in a grin to reveal his sharp fangs.

"You gonna fight me shrimp?" Hayato mocked as he advanced towards Tsuna. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"You're the one who doesn't know who you're dealing with," Tsuna said calmly before rushing at Hayato to deliver well-aimed punches. The silver-haired teen was able to dodge most of the punches, but there were some that connected and it wasn't long before Tsuna had Hayato backed up in a corner.

"Che, damnit!" Hayato gasped; a hand on his chest where a bruise (or bruises) was certainly forming.

"Hayato-kun, suppress your bloodlust. You don't want to hurt anyone innocent," Tsuna tried to reason even though he knew it wouldn't have any effect.

Hayato only burst out laughing. "Hurt anyone innocent?" he mocked, eyes wide and slightly manic. "You're right; I don't want to hurt anyone innocent… I only want to hurt you!"

The taller teen punctuated his last word by rushing at Tsuna, raising his clawed hands to strike while growling up a storm. Tsuna just barely dodged the hand, the sharp claws ripping through his white uniform shirt, but he brought his own hand up to tightly grasp the attacking arm before balancing himself on one foot and kneeing Hayato in the stomach. The silver-haired teen let out an "Oof!" as he doubled over in pain, falling to his knees before Tsuna used his free hand to grip the other's hair, pulling his head back. Pained red eyes narrowed at Tsuna while he released his hold on Hayato's arm and brought that hand up to his mouth.

"Forgive me for doing this Hayato-kun, but this is the only way to bring you back to normal," Tsuna said before he let his fangs grow and buried them in his wrist. Blood spurted out of the wound and Tsuna quickly shoved his wrist into Hayato's mouth, blocking out anything that the taller teen was about to say.

At the smell of blood, Hayato began lapping up the life fluid, drinking greedily, and soon the red of his eyes slowly faded back to the sea green they usually are. Once Hayato had his fill and was completely back to normal, Tsuna released his grip on the locks of silver and removed his wrist from the other's mouth, bringing it up to his own mouth so that he could lick it clean and heal it. Hayato still kneeled before him, looking dazed as if he didn't know where he was, so Tsuna reached out a hand and shook the halfblood awake.

"Hayato-kun, have you had your fill now?" he asked gently, his hold tightening on the other's shoulder.

Green eyes looked up at him, closely studying him as if he was a stranger he should be wary of. But then, realization and recognition dawned in those eyes and Hayato hurriedly scrambled to his feet, mouth opening and closing as they tried to form words but had a difficult time trying to make sound escape them.

"J-J-Juudaime?" Hayato cried at last, looking both incredulous and relieved.

Tsuna smiled and nodded at the silver-haired youth. Of course, there were still many questions rocketing about in his mind at how and why Hayato arrived here in Japan, but he decided that it was prudent to set those questions aside for now in favor of helping both his friends.

Hayato, meanwhile, looked close to tears. He didn't recognize the young pureblood at first due to the eyeglasses and tied up hair, but the overwhelmingly familiar scent was what caused him to recognize the smaller boy, the one he had been looking for, waiting for, for so long. His lips tightened and his jaw trembled, the result of holding back the sobs of happiness that might escape. But before he could think about stopping himself, the silver-haired youth flung himself towards Tsuna, arms wrapping around the smaller frame in a tight, almost desperate embrace as if he was afraid that this was all a dream and that if he let go, Tsuna would disappear, lost again in the streets of the city he was so unfamiliar with.

"Juudaime!" Hayato cried, practically weeping into Tsuna's shoulder. He was so relieved, so goddamned relieved…

"Hayato-kun," Tsuna chuckled softly, a hand reaching up to gently pat the silver head buried in his shoulder. "I'm happy to see you too, but could you stop trying to break me in half?"

Hayato jerked in surprise, and then he jumped away from Tsuna, hands thrown up in the air as if he was surrendering. "Forgive me for invading your personal space Juudaime!" he half-shrieked, causing Tsuna to wince a bit at the sound before he looked down at Hayato with a mixture of embarrassment and confusion as the silver-haired teen was engaging in **dogeza** while screeching things like "Forgive me!" and "I am not worthy to be your right-hand!"

"Erm…" Tsuna started, flinching when he noticed that Hayato's forehead, that had made contact with the grimy ground, sported a small patch of grime and tiny pebbles. "Please don't do that Hayato-kun, I don't want you hurting yourself more."

"Yes Juudaime!" Hayato exclaimed immediately, a light blush on his cheeks since he never really got over the fact that Tsuna had stopped calling him by his last name and hearing his first name rolling off that small tongue made his heart flutter at the intimacy it implied.

With a quirk of a smile, Tsuna stretched out a hand towards the still kneeling halfblood. "Come and help me with my friend. With his stature I'll have trouble carrying him."

The silver-haired youth nodded vigorously as he reached out to take Tsuna's hand, but then he paused when he saw the speckles of blood that still resided on the pureblood's petite wrist. He pulled the wrist closer to his face, inspecting it, then his eyes widened when he recognized the two reddened spots that were the unmistakable marks of fangs wounds recently healed. Hayato stared at Tsuna incredulously.

"Juudaime, you…!"

Tsuna sighed and shook his head as he said, "It was the only way to bring you back to normal."

"But your blood - !"

"I am well aware of the side-effects of my blood, but most of my power is sealed, so you won't have to worry about that. Now, drop it Hayato-kun and let's get moving before anyone else finds us."

Hayato wanted to protest, but the look in his boss' eyes was enough for him to keep his mouth shut. He knew when to stop talking, so he just dusted himself off and walked over to the figure slumped against the wall, stopping a bit when he saw the bloodstains and tattered clothes of the boy who had followed him.

The silver-haired teen felt guilt drop to the pit of his stomach and he asked shakily, "Juudaime did I…?"

"It's not your fault," Tsuna reassured his friend quickly. "You lost control – most of us do. And not to worry, I arrived in time before you could do any permanent damage."

Hayato's lips tightened into a thin line, but he said nothing more as he crouched down in front of the slumped taller teen, grunting as Tsuna helped the unconscious body onto his back. He wrinkled his nose a bit as he stood up, Takeshi on his back, and he felt a bit mortified that he had to give a piggy back ride to some unknown human right in front of his boss. It wasn't that he hated humans – he is half human himself after all – it's just that this particular one annoyed him and when someone annoys Gokudera Hayato, he stays annoyed at them because he's a stubborn bastard like that.

The halfblood and pureblooded vampires walked off in silence, both knowing that getting somewhere safe was top priority before questions. Their trek was somewhat slow, since Takeshi was bigger than Hayato and the silver-haired teen – despite his enhanced strength – staggered slightly over the size of his baggage. It was a good thing that Tsuna was there to help.

"Juudaime, where have you been all this time?" Hayato asked as he walked.

Tsuna gave him a small smile. "Oh, here and there," he said cryptically. "Just biding my time and having a little fun along the way. But what about you? Why are you here in Japan?"

"To find you of course!" Hayato cried incredulously. "You've been gone for so long! And I was worried that the enemy captured you again! I couldn't bear that possibility so I found it prudent to come here, even though I had to sneak about and dodge Bianchi…"

Tsuna smiled, not finding it in his heart to scold his friend for disobeying orders and coming to Namimori. He knew that he was supposed to go back to Italy eventually, but he was finding it harder to leave such a peaceful life with Kyouya even though his position in the vampire society didn't bring about peace as often as human life. There was just this tugging in his heart, a tiny voice that told him that he had to stay longer and see how things will work out, his intuition whispering that Kyouya had a different role to play in his life other then offering a hiding place.

The pureblood stopped in his tracks and tilted his chin up, as if a scent had just reached his nose. Hayato walked forward a bit, busy in ranting his ass off how his _dear_ older sister kept him locked in a cage at nights so that he wouldn't sneak off, but he stopped too when he realized that Tsuna was not by his side anymore.

"Juudaime?" the halfblood asked as he turned around and gave Tsuna a curious look.

"We have company," Tsuna said simply, his eyes becoming serious as he looked across the street to the other side.

Hayato looked as well and at first glance, didn't see anything out of the ordinary. But in the blink of an eye, a figure appeared beneath the beam of a streetlight, standing there with her hands twitching at her sides and her eyes glowing red. The girl had an obviously fake tan that made her look more like an orange then anything else. Her hair was bleached to an almost white shade and had streaks of neon-green, pink and orange in them and she wore platform shoes, a mini skirt, and a tank top that matched her hair. She also had tons of accessories like necklaces and bangles hanging off of her and decorating her eyes was white eye shadow and fake eyelashes to finish off her **ganguro** look.

Hayato cringed at the look. "What the hell is that supposed to be?" he asked.

"A rogue probably," Tsuna said as he pushed Hayato, trying to make him hurry along. "But if you're asking about her fashion sense, she's a ganguro."

"Japanese fashion is so strange," the silver-haired vampire muttered, allowing himself to be steered away from the obviously bloodthirsty vamp, but he stopped in his tracks once again when he noticed that there was a high school boy standing a little way down the sidewalk, still wearing his black uniform and his black hair neatly combed and parted to the side on his head, bangs not hiding the glowing red eyes.

"Uh-oh," Tsuna muttered and he turned around (Hayato mirroring his movement) to spot another much older male leaning against the wall a few feet from them. He had a more wild look with his crimson hair (obviously dyed) sticking up in spikes, numerous piercings on his ears, lip, and eyebrows, and wearing only a black tank top and red skinny jeans with chains. "We're surrounded."

The ganguro girl calmly walked across the street (which was deserted of any cars, fortunately for her) and she stopped a few feet from the young vampires and unconscious human, a wicked smile splitting her previously calm face.

"Looks like we have a smorgasbord on our hand, boys," she said in a sickly sweet yet raspy voice that caused both Hayato and Tsuna to cringe. They had had their fair share of rogue vampire encounters in their lifetime and it wasn't pretty to say the least.

The other two males just chuckled at the female's proclamation and they advanced, their facial features growing much more feral and their fangs lengthening as they hissed towards the trio of teenagers. Tsuna and Hayato recoiled, knowing that it was futile when they had an unconscious human in their hands and that they were cornered as well. Tsuna could've fended them off himself, but with most of his pureblood power sealed up and not being able to show for a while, he hardly stood on par with three rogue vampires. He had enough trouble with Hayato's rogue state and the latter was a halfblood.

But before either teen could make a move, the ganguro girl rushed forward, a shriek escaping her lips as she raised a clawed hand. Hayato and Tsuna were able to dodge the swipe, the girl's claws creating deep scratches on the cement wall behind them. The assaults were continued by the high schooler and rocker boys who definitely kept the two on their toes, especially Hayato since he was still carrying Takeshi all the while dodging the attacks thrown at him. Soon enough, the sidewalk, street, and nearby concrete walls were covered in deep gashes, result of the three rogues missing their intended targets, though both targets knew that their luck was not going to last long.

"We need to get out of here," Tsuna said, panting a bit as he neared Hayato.

"Juudaime, I shall distract them while you run," Hayato said to him.

"No," Tsuna said in his commanding voice. "You're the one carrying Takeshi, so you will run when I give you the signal."

Hayato looked over his shoulder and gave Tsuna a startled look. "But Juudaime, your blood gave me enough energy to still carry the human as well as evade these rogues."

"That may be, but the effect won't last long," Tsuna argued, narrowing his eyes at the silver-haired teen. "At my signal, you run. That is an order Hayato-kun, so do not disobey me."

For a moment, Hayato looked like he was really going to go against his boss' orders, but he resentfully nodded his okay even though every fiber in his being was screaming for him to go against it. He probably would've too, if it wasn't for the serious look on Tsuna's face.

Without waiting for their targets to spout another word, the three rogues lunged towards their targets, red eyes glowing madly in the dimly lit street. Tsuna shouted out "Now!" as he caught all three rogues and Hayato immediately dashed towards the end of the street, his teeth digging into his lower lip so hard that it drew blood. The pain only reminded him not to look back nor stop the pounding of his feet against the pavement as he ran from the scene.

Behind him, Tsuna grunted in pain as he felt backwards from the weight of the three rogues on him. Almost immediately after his back hit the blacktop ground he felt three pairs of fangs bury themselves in his flesh; one on the forearm he had been futilely holding up in defense, one on his shoulder, and the last on his thigh. He struggled beneath the rogues, but he couldn't stop the pleasure of Feeding that ran through his nerves. That was probably the one thing that was both loved and resented throughout the vampire species.

_Damnit! Where's my power when I need it?_ Tsuna thought angrily as he bit back a groan when the ganguro girl attached to his thigh gave a particularly strong suck that sent pleasurable tremors through his legs. _What a nightmare…_

Fortunately, the nightmare practically stopped when he felt the a familiar presence present himself to the would-be Feeding frenzy and it was enough for the three rogues to rip their fangs away from Tsuna (causing the teen to wince since, despite the pleasure of Feeding, ripping fangs away from flesh was not at all pleasurable) and hiss at the figure that appeared before them.

"Slayer…" the three rogues hissed and bared their fangs, looking like a trio of cats who were protecting their territory from a dog.

Looking around, it was of no surprise to Tsuna when he saw Yamamoto Tsuyoshi standing not far from the group. In his hand, Tsuyoshi held a katana sword whose blade glinted in the light and Tsuna was reluctantly reminded of his encounter with Genkishi not a month ago.

Tsuyoshi lifted his katana and pointed the end at the four vampires. "Vile creatures," he spat, slightly startling Tsuna at how much resentment there was in his voice. "I, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, First Class Slayer of the Order of Nightfall, shall punish you for your crime against the human race."

None of the rogues bothered to respond. They only rushed at Tsuyoshi, thinking that they were powerful enough to take him down. But Tsuna knew better. First class slayers were a small and elite group, but they were powerful, enough to know how to stand on par with a pureblood more experienced then Tsuna, like Timoteo. Yet, even though Tsuna had his suspicions that Tsuyoshi was a slayer, he didn't suspect that the older Yamamoto was a first class one at that. Usually the children of first class slayers grew up to be powerful slayers as well…

A loud shrieked pierced the air as Tsuyoshi's katana pierced through the ganguro girl's chest where her heart was located. The katana glowed blue with markings appearing on the sides of the blade to show that it was specially made to kill vampires. The body of the ganguro girl skewered by the glowing katana stiffened and a look of utter shock and pain appeared on her face. Then her body started to lose color, almost looking like it was turning to stone only to disintegrate into an ash-like substance not a second later as she let out a raspy moan of pain. The other two rogues gaped at the pile of ash that was formerly a girl then they gave identical horrified looks to Tsuyoshi who turned towards them, looking nonchalant (which is to be expected).

Before the male vampires could even think of running away, a blade pierced their bodies and their death went the same way as their female companion; disintegrating into a pile of ash. When Tsuyoshi turned towards Tsuna, the latter flinched minutely at the cold and impassive look that older man was giving him. It was very unlike the cheerful man who was just a simple sushi chef and father to an equally cheerful teenager with a heart of gold.

Tsuyoshi approached Tsuna, taking care to watch for suspicious movement as the young vampire licked his wounds to heal the fang marks that decorated him. But Tsuna had no intention of attacking his savior even though Tsuyoshi might not have intended it.

"I had a feeling you were a slayer," Tsuna stated as he looked up at Tsuyoshi, finished with his healing. "But I never would've guessed that you were a first class one. I am honored to be in the presence of one such as powerful as you."

Tsuyoshi didn't bother replying to the compliment, only lifting his katana once again to point the sharp end at Tsuna's face. "Where is my son?" he demanded with a glare at the young vampire.

Tsuna cringed at the blade in his face. Though he knew that such a weapon can not kill him the way it killed the rogues, he never liked sharp things being pointed at his face. "Takeshi is safe with my friend," he said. "He had been Fed on, but nothing seriously damaging has happened. I arrived in time to prevent anything worse from happening."

Instead of relief, suspicion and doubt appeared in Tsuyoshi's light brown eyes. "You're one of them," he half-hissed accusingly.

"You state something the both of us knew from the beginning," Tsuna said, a bit annoyed as he swatted away Tsuyoshi's blade and ignored the glare that elder man gave him as he stood. "And besides, threatening a pureblood is going against the treaty your Order and the Vongola family has established, Yamamoto-san."

Tsuna held back a satisfied smirk when Tsuyoshi's eyes widened minutely and a flicker of confusion appeared on the wrinkled face. "A pureblood…" Tsuyoshi murmured in disbelief. "But your eyes…"

"My power is sealed at the moment," Tsuna answered the unasked question disdainfully. "But if you don't believe me, you're welcome to stab me in the heart and see if your blade can kill me. And I assure you it won't kill me nor will it help in matters except to prove your doubt wrong."

A heavy silence drifted in between the human and vampire, the latter knowing that the former was thinking over his words. But Tsuna needn't worry. He knew what Tsuyoshi's words would be even before the older man had thought of them.

"All right, I believe you. I wouldn't want another war to break out," Tsuyoshi stated as he sheathed his katana. Tsuna noticed that he was still wearing his chef's attire, probably having hurried out of the restaurant without another thought when he realized that both Takeshi and Tsuna were gone.

Tsuna chuckled softly and shook his head. "You're exaggerating Yamamoto-san," he said, looking the elder man in the eye. "But we are already in the midst of one anyway."

Another heavy silence drifted in between the two but it was more tense and serious then the last. Tsuna didn't know if Tsuyoshi, or even the Order of Nightfall, knew about the not-so-spat between the Vongola and Millefiore family. Tsuna barely knew what the Order of slayers did anyway since he was more focused on his duties and responsibilities as the Vongola heir. But the slight confusion in Tsuyoshi's eyes was enough for Tsuna to suspect that the elder man didn't know about the battle between the two families.

Breaking the silence, Tsuna said, "Shall we go Yamamoto-san? We're going to have to catch up with my friend in order for you to see your son." And after a curt nod from the slayer, the two rushed off, focused on catching up to Hayato before he ran out of their range.

**

* * *

A/N:** Forgive me for the lateness. Like I said, I was distracted with reading other fics (SasuNaru and Drarry, which I only recently got into for some reason). I've been writing on and off; sometimes only a sentence, sometimes a couple paragraphs, sometimes to rewrite a scene completely. I've also been jotting down future scenes, most of which concern my OC (who I have revised like, five times) and notes considering the vampire society I have in mind. And I have written about half of the last chapter! And I mean the _last_ chapter because when I started writing this, I already had an ending in mind (LOL, like J.K. Rowling! :D). I don't know how many chapters this story will take up, but I have a feeling it's going to be long. ;)

I still hate Adelheid and her melons with all my heart… and Enma...

**Dogeza** – A posture of self-abasement used in formal apologies and to request grand favors from persons of higher social status. If things are particularly bad, or the favor is particularly big, the supplicant will touch his forehead to the ground in full kowtow. (Taken from TV Tropes)

**Ganguro** - Ganguro appeared as a new fashion style in Japan in the early 1990s and to date is prevalent mostly among young women and women in their early 20s. In _ganguro_ fashion, a deep tan is combined with hair dyed in shades of orange to blonde, or a silver grey known as "high bleached". Black ink is used as eye-liner and white concealer is used as lipstick and eye shadow. False eyelashes, plastic facial gems, and pearl powder are often added to this. Platform shoes and brightly-colored outfits complete the _ganguro_ look. Also typical of _ganguro_ fashion are tie-dyed sarongs, miniskirts, stickers on the face, and many bracelets, rings, and necklaces (Taken from Wikipedia).

**

* * *

Behind The Scenes:**

Ryohei scratched his head as he read over the scripts, trying to put two and two together but only coming up with twenty-two which confused him greatly.

"Yo, Director!" he called out to the girl who was jotting down some new scenes she had in mind. "I don't get this!"

"What's not to get?" the director asked nonchalantly, still typing down words on her laptop.

Jumping up from his chair and approaching the busy girl, he waved about the script with question marks appearing above his head. "Well, if Tsuna's a pureblood vampire then how come he had lived a human life before?" he inquired with glinting eyes. "That doesn't add up."

"Well, I can tell you now but that will ruin the suspense for the audience, wouldn't it?" the director said, still focused on her typing. "Everything has an explanation and will be explained in time, so you'll just have to wait and see what I have planned. You're welcome to concoct theories though."

Ryohei only groaned and pouted in exasperation before he curiously bent over to read whatever the director was typing down. He read a few lines before asking, "Who's Yayoi?"

At that, the director shoved Ryohei's face away from her laptop screen. "Hey, no peeking!" she screeched, pointing an accusing finger at the tanned, white-haired teenager.

Ryohei only pouted again.

(To those who might be confused about Tsuna and asked about it… there's my answer up there XP)


	8. A Taste of the Dark Side

**A/N:** Uhhh… please enjoy a new chapter! *runs like hell*

**Warning:** Smut… or something along that line…

**

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Chapter VIII:**

**A Taste of the Dark Side**

* * *

Hayato was just two streets away when Tsuna and Tsuyoshi caught up with him. At first the halfblood was wary of the slayer, recognizing the power in the katana he held at his side. But once Tsuna explained the situation to him he reluctantly allowed himself to be led to TakeSushi, raising his brows at the modest home and restaurant (which, apparently, had been closed early) since he was expecting something more extravagant from a First Class Slayer.

The halfblood was disappointed when Tsuna told him to take the slayer's son (Takeshi, Tsuna had called him) up to his room. Hayato scowled and grumbled to himself as he ascended the stairs, trying to catch the words to the conversation between Tsuna and Tsuyoshi but couldn't for some reason. Questions still burned inside of him, aching to be thrown at Tsuna's face, but Hayato steeled himself for the moment. He knew when to hold his tongue and right now, with the pleading look he had seen in his boss' eyes earlier on, he knew that this was one of those times.

Besides, he was a bit distracted by the human he carried on his back who was so tall (is he really Asian?) and heavy and looked utterly peaceful in his state of unconsciousness.

Trying not to let the human's scent overwhelm him, Hayato found the room Tsuna had directed him to and let himself in, eyes swiftly taking in the baseball posters on the walls as well as other baseball-related items such as foam fingers, bobble heads of famous players, and even mitts, balls, and bats of different brands.

_Jeez, what a baseball freak,_ Hayato thought with a roll of his eyes as he set Takeshi down on the floor, letting him lean on the wall. Not at all feeling like he had done his job right, Hayato opened the _oshiire_ and pulled out the futon, neatly setting it down on the floor before he turned towards Takeshi and helped the unconscious human into his bed.

After pulling the blanket up to the other's chest, Hayato took his chance to study Takeshi's face. He was tanned from obviously being out in the sun for too long and had broad shoulders, high cheekbones with a strong jaw, and a straight nose. He was handsome yes, but Hayato wasn't really interested. He vowed never to let his eyes fall on someone who wasn't Juudaime because he knew he was only going to get hurt, just like last time...

Sighing a bit, Hayato stood and left the room, silently closing the door behind him. He allowed himself to have a moment of thought before he decided that alerting the two idiots (i.e. Lambo and Ryohei) that he had found their boss was probably a good next step. He fished his red cellphone out of his pocket and pressed a speed dial number before pressing it against his ear. He heard it ring three times before the call was answered.

"_What's up Stupidera?_" Lambo asked in his drawling tone of voice.

"_Don't call me that you stupid cow,_" Hayato snapped but it barely had any bite to it. "_I found Juudaime._"

There was a pause and Hayato could practically hear one of Lambo's eyebrow rise up in disbelief. Somewhere in the background, the silver-haired teen could hear Ryohei shout "_Extremely good job Gokudera!_"

"_You _found_ him?_" Lambo said, the words still processing in his mind. Poor, slow cow.

Hayato sighed in exasperation. "_Yes, I found him... well, actually he found me but that's not the point! The point is I'm with him right now so you two idiots better get over here before we leave without you!_"

After promising to explain the whole thing later and giving his other companions the address of the sushi shop, Hayato ended the call and made his way downstairs to where he left his boss with the slayer. And though he knew that slayers were forbidden to "give judgment" on purebloods, he was still a bit nervous about leaving a skilled First Class with his boss. Fortunately, Tsuna was actually smiling when Hayato finally stepped through the doorway that led into the restaurant and a silver brow rose as green eyes looked over at Tsuyoshi who was smiling faintly as well. Unfortunately the smile on the slayer's face vanished when he stepped into the room and it was replaced with a blank look.

Slayers were not forbidden to kill halfbloods. They might be half-human, but they still drank blood and that was enough for the Order of Nightfall to place a "kill on sight" order on all halfbloods. It was a good thing that Hayato was protected by the Vongola name and Tsuna as well.

"What were you talking about?" Hayato asked curiously, eyes falling on Tsuna who smiled at him.

"Takeshi-kun," the shorter teen answered, trying to make the conversation light. "Yamamoto-san here was debating on whether or not he's going to tell his son about us and his former occupation. I advised that he should because he wouldn't be fair if he didn't and if he knew his son well, he would know that Takeshi-kun would be accepting and understanding."

"Even I wonder what goes through that child's mind other then baseball," Tsuyoshi chipped in, that faint smile returning.

"Uh-huh," Hayato said a bit awkwardly. It was unnerving that a vampire and a slayer were having a civil conversation. It was just unheard of. "Juudaime, I called the stupid cow and Lawn head. They're making their way over here as we speak."

Surprise shone in Tsuna's still-brown eyes before his brows furrowed slightly in suspicion. "Lambo and Oniisan are here with you? Why?"

Hayato had the decency to look sheepish. He had a feeling, after all that happened tonight, that Tsuna didn't want to be found by anyone, whether by his own family or otherwise and though he did not approve of it, he could at least respect that. "I had to ask for help in order to escape from Bianchi," he explained. "Stupidera and Lawn head were the only ones I trusted not to blab about leaving, but they insisted on coming along as well."

"I see," Tsuna hummed in thought.

"Gomen Juudaime, I hope I didn't upset you," Hayato said, suddenly looking like a kicked puppy.

"Oh, no Hayato-kun, I'm not upset! Just a little… surprised."

Tsuna mentally breathed out a sigh of relief when Hayato beamed at him and then prattled on about being his right-hand mind. Honestly, the halfblood acted tough but he was very easily hurt. It perplexed, amused, and exhausted Tsuna, who made sure to always be happy with each of Hayato's efforts.

"So, Yoshi-kun…" Tsuyoshi spoke up, gaining Tsuna's attention. Hayato only raised an incredulous eyebrow at the name.

Smiling, Tsuna said, "Actually, Yoshi is an alias. My real name is Sawada Tsunayoshi, though I'd prefer I was called Tsuna."

Tsuyoshi's eyes widened. The similarity of their names didn't escape him. "I see," he said. "Then, Tsuna-kun, would you mind telling me about this war your kind is having?"

At the change in subject, Tsuna's eyes darkened. He debated on whether he should tell the former slayer. After all, telling him would practically be telling the Order of Nightfall (despite him being retired, the Order still kept tabs on their members, former or otherwise) and it wouldn't do much good to bring the slayers in the war of vampires versus vampires.

"I am speaking as the future head of the Vongola family," Tsuna said, ignoring Tsuyoshi's look of surprise at his family's name, "when I say that I do not want the Order to interfere in this war. This is only a matter between us vampires and no one else. But I do advise that you keep an eye on the Millefiore family. We do not know what they're planning, but make sure they don't do anything to innocent humans."

Tsuyoshi nodded once the words registered in his mind. "I don't work for the Order anymore, but I'm sure they will take heed of my word as one of their best former slayers."

At that, Tsuna smiled again, regaining the innocent boyish look he wore on a daily basis. "Thank you for listening Yamamoto-san."

The old man nodded once again, gaining a smile of his own. Hayato felt like he should speak up, so he opened his mouth to do so, but didn't get the chance for the entrance to the restaurant slid open and two recognizable people stepped inside.

"Tsuna!" Lambo cried, his face twisting into a rare expression of unsuppressed glee.

"Sawada!" Ryohei cried at almost the same time as Lambo, looking just as happy as his fellow Guardian.

The two practically bowled Tsuna over with their queries, asking if he was all right, demanding explanations, and (on Lambo's part) complaining about having to put up with Hayato and Ryohei fighting. Tsuna took the questions in a stride, easily sidestepping them with vague answers and promises to explain as much as he could later. He didn't want to be overheard after all and Tsuyoshi was looking as curious enough as it is.

"I've never had so many vampires in my shop…" Tsuna heard the old man mutter. Well, maybe not…

Taking the short silence that his friends provided as his queue to speak up, Tsuna said, "Well, thank you for accommodating us for a few minutes, Yamamoto-san," as he took the time to gather his school things, which he left lying about. "But it's getting late and we should get going."

Hayato, Lambo, and Ryohei shuffled about, heading towards the exit and expecting the pureblood to follow, but Tsuna hung back a little to have a last word with Tsuyoshi.

"I'd appreciate it if you'll keep quiet about me as much as possible," he said lowly but surely. "I don't want news of me being here to get out to anyone."

"May I still inform the Order?" Tsuyoshi asked and Tsuna managed to hide the fact that he was rather surprised to be asked permission from a slayer.

"I'm not stopping you. I just want to make sure that you'll be careful in relaying your information."

Tsuyoshi nodded in understanding. "You can trust me."

"That I can," Tsuna said with a smile before turning away and heading towards the exit. "Have a pleasant evening."

* * *

Somehow, Hayato, Lambo, and Ryohei held a mutual understanding that Tsuna did not want to blab about his little adventures as they walked down the street towards wherever they were going. But though they had have managed to hold their tongues, that didn't stop them from feeling less anxious. They desperately wanted to know what had happened to their boss in the past few weeks but not everyone could wait for a few more minutes to get some answers.

But Hayato wasn't known much for his patience and he desperately wanted to ask questions, but he found that their silent walk allowed him to fully take in his boss' appearance. And of course he did not like the nerdy atmosphere the smaller vampire was giving off. Tsuna was a pureblood and a damn good one at that! So why doesn't he flaunt it? He should be proud of his lineage!

"Juudaime," Hayato said, reaching out to lightly touch Tsuna on the shoulder. Brown eyes looked at him through rounded-rectangle glasses and Hayato scowled deeply. What happened to those glorious orange eyes that showed off his pureblood status? "I want to know -"

Tsuna raised a hand to cut Hayato off. He knew that the halfblood wanted to ask questions and get some answers out of them but now wasn't really the time.

"Not here Hayato-kun," he said, shaking his head a bit. "Wait until we get back home. I promise I'll answer all of your questions then."

Hayato was a bit taken aback. "Back home? But it'll take hours to get back to Italy! I don't think I can wait that long!"

At that, Tsuna laughed and Hayato gave him an incredulous look. "I'm sorry, it's just that you misunderstood me. I meant when we get back to where I'm staying."

"Where you're staying?" It was Lambo who spoke up this time.

"With my human friend," Tsuna answered and he frowned a little at that. Kyouya would certainly be angered if he ever found out that Tsuna just referred to him as a friend. Ah well.

Hayato practically tripped over his feet at Tsuna's words and he stammered, "Y-Y-Your _human_ friend?"

Tsuna sighed and rolled his eyes a bit. "Yes, Hayato-kun, my _human_ friend, just like Takeshi-kun. But I'm sure Kyouya-san is pissed because I didn't come home on time and didn't make him dinner."

If Hayato's eyes could get any wider, they might as well pop right out of his head and he just continued to stammer like an idiot. _His_ Juudaime, his _boss_, makes dinner for a human? A _human_ actually had the balls to order his boss around? Doesn't that mortal know just who Tsuna is?

Lambo however looked amused. "I'm not surprised that Tsuna has made friends with a human," he said matter-of-factly. "He makes friends with everyone."

"And he lived as a human before any way," Ryohei pitched in with a grin. "It should come naturally to him."

Hayato only sputtered. But he admitted that he really _shouldn't_ be surprised about it. He himself grew up in the vampire society, treating purebloods like royalty which was why he was so indignant about his boss acting like a common housemaid to a lowly human.

He was suddenly snapped out of his shock when he heard Tsuna call out to him. "Hurry up Hayato-kun or the bus will leave without us!" Tsuna said, pointedly clapping his self-appointed right-hand man on the shoulder before hurrying off to where he saw the bus waiting at the street corner. Hayato was jolted out of his mental fury when he saw Lambo and Ryohei following Tsuna on the bus, laughing at the halfblood who just stood there in the middle of the street like an idiot. Crying out his resentment, the silver-haired vampire followed, hopping onto the bus and ready to give his companions an earful of his ranting.

The ride to where Tsuna was staying was rather uneventful, though there were plenty of petty arguments between Hayato and Ryohei which were broken up by Tsuna. Lambo felt like things had finally gone back to normal with the pureblood having returned to their group, but he knew better. Hayato himself was wondering why they were taking the bus when they could've easily traveled on foot. But he refrained from voicing out his questions at least for the moment.

"You know guys, I just noticed," Tsuna spoke up after another passenger has left the bus. "But how come you're speaking such fluent Japanese? Last I know Lambo and Hayato-kun don't speak any Japanese beyond the basic greetings."

"Heh, they're got these cool devices to help," Ryohei answered with a wide grin and pointing at his ear.

At Tsuna's confused expression, Hayato showed him the hearing aid devices that helped them understand any foreign language. And though they were only prototypes, Tsuna was very impressed by them. So much that they almost missed their stop.

After hopping off of the bus the quartet walked a few blocks before Tsuna stopped in front of an ordinary-looking house that Hayato had to scowl at. His opinion? Tsuna deserved much better then an ordinary house. In fact, he deserved to be showered with riches like a king!

Either oblivious or ignoring Hayato's incessant scowling (he's not Hayato if he doesn't scowl anyway) Tsuna pushed through the gate and walked up to the front door, his guardians following his wake closely. Tsuna stepped through the front door, frowning a bit when Hayato and Lambo didn't apologize for entering the house. But then he was quick to remind himself that they knew little about Japanese custom (despite Hayato's obviously Japanese name) so he shouldn't hold that against them.

"Tadaima, Kyouya-san!" Tsuna called out into the house as he and the others removed their shoes to put aside in the genkan.

Feeling a little apprehensive, Tsuna made his way to the living room, Hayato close behind him and the other two behind the halfblood. He had a feeling that Kyouya was going to be a tiny bit angry (which he knew was a big understatement...) and he gladly noted that he was right when he ducked low to avoid a flying pillow.

Hayato was the unlucky one, having not sensed the projectile and getting a faceful of pillow. Tsuna tried not to snigger as he stood up to his full height (which wasn't much, sad to say) and faced the glaring Kyouya. _At least he didn't throw his tonfa..._

"You're late herbivore," Kyouya stated, his usually calm blue-grey eyes quick to narrow at the shorter teen. Tsuna has seen many types of fury in his years of living with vampires, but he had to admit that Kyouya's anger was probably the scariest despite him being completely human.

"Gomen Kyouya-san," Tsuna said, smiling apologetically though wincing at those narrowed eyes. "A lot of things happened earlier and -"

"What did you call Juudaime?"

Tsuna jumped a bit at being interrupted but sighed when he recognized that familiar temper. Kyouya only raised an eyebrow at the fuming Hayato who had stepped in between him and the herbivore.

"And who are you?" Kyouya asked coolly, anger momentarily forgotten.

"I'm Gokudera Hayato, Juudaime's right hand man!" Hayato stated proudly and with obvious smugness despite his obvious anger. "And I suggest you'd think twice about calling him an herbivore, you ungrateful mortal!"

Kyouya's brow twitched minutely at the obvious insult but he firmly kept his anger in check. "And I thought you were deaf because earlier you were just asking what I just said."

If Hayato ground his teeth even harder, sparks would appear.

"I'll show you, mortal," Hayato growling as he raised a hand, preparing to blow the dark-haired teen in front of him to smithereens.

Fortunately, Tsuna intervened, placing a gentle but firm hand on Hayato's shoulder. The silver-haired teen looked around questioningly, but he froze at Tsuna's pointed look.

"Hayato-kun, I'd appreciate it if you don't blow Kyouya-san – and the house – into many tiny pieces," Tsuna said firmly. Turning to Kyouya he said, "Kyouya-san, Hayato-kun is one of my subordinates. I stumbled across him on my trip to Takeshi-kun's place. I promise I'll explain everything to you later, but right now, I have to explain things to my subordinates. I hope you don't mind."

Kyouya's eyes flitted from Tsuna's hopeful and pleading face (which somehow made his stomach do back flips) to Hayato's scowling one (which only made him frown) and to the curious face of Lambo who was peeking around the corner. Closing his eyes, Kyouya turned away from the vampires and mumbled a "Do what you want," before walking towards the stairs, ascending into the upper floor. He didn't want to crowd with them after all and he was bitter that his house was becoming a hideout for vampires now.

Sighing at Kyouya's affirmative, Tsuna gestured for Hayato, Lambo, and a rather pale-looking Ryohei to follow him into the kitchen after he dumped his bag into his usual armchair in the living room. Hayato immediately sat down at the table along with Lambo and Ryohei and the pureblooded vampire went about getting drinks for all of them before sitting in his chair right next to Hayato.

"So, everyone," Tsuna said after taking a sip of his drink and quenching his thirst. "What would you like to know?"

"Everything!" Hayato blurted out without hesitation. "Why did you leave without telling anyone? What happened when you were caught by the Millefiore? And why did you decide to stay here - of all places - instead of returning to Italy?"

Tsuna sighed and rubbed his temples. Of course, knowing Hayato, there was no avoiding the flurry of questions and the look of unmasked worry on the halfblood's face. Gathering his courage and taking a deep breath to calm his self, Tsuna began to speak.

"I'll give you the short version of things… or as short as I could make it," he said, looking directly into Hayato's eyes, silently half-begging and half-ordering the other to not ask for any details before glancing at the two others. "As you know I wanted to return to Namimori for personal reasons; I have been away for five years and I just wanted to see my hometown again. But barely a day passed when I was ambushed by a Millefiore Black Spell squad, led by a man named Gamma." Hayato's eyes went wide and they flashed with multiple emotions, though Tsuna thought it prudent not to ask any questions about it. "Sadly, I was overwhelmed by the number of skilled opponents and I got knocked out. When I woke up I found myself in an all white prison cell with no way out. Couldn't find a door or anything and since my gloves were confiscated, I couldn't fight my way out." Tsuna paused for a bit, trying to find the words to say next. "My time in that prison... was the worse; even more so then my training with Reborn. They gave me only enough blood so that I wouldn't go rogue but it still wouldn't satiate my thirst. The food they gave me only had enough nutrients to keep me alive but it didn't satiate my hunger. And the leader of the Millefiore - Byakuran - visited me constantly and... lets say that he wasn't pleasant."

Hayato, Lambo, and Ryohei's eyes went wide at the implication. "D-Did he...?" Lambo asked tentatively.

"No Lambo, nothing like what you're thinking." But there was a flash in Tsuna's eyes that made the three others suspect that their boss was not telling the whole truth.

"So, how did you escape?" Ryohei asked, changing the subject.

"A man named Spanner helped me," Tsuna said after sipping his drink. "He is a genius engineer and has invented these kinds of robots he calls Gola Mosca. I fought against his creations and lost, but he was impressed by my combat ability and helped me escape, even helping me perfect my X-Burner."

Hayato was incredulous about that. In his eyes, Tsuna was already a combat specialist; after all, he defeated Xanxus, the Kyuudaime's adopted son and former boss candidate, as well as Mukuro, another one of Tsuna's guardians who is actually an escaped convict. He couldn't see how this Spanner guy could help Tsuna in any way (but that was probably just his jealousy talking, not that he would admit it...).

"So, what happened after that?" Lambo asked.

At that, Tsuna told his tale of running through a forest after having been teleported out of the Millefiore base (which is why he didn't know where the base was), afterwards fighting Genkishi in the city and falling unconscious only to meet Kyouya when he awoke. Hayato seemed to get irritated at the mention of the person who had disrespected his Juudaime, but he kept quiet as Tsuna talked. Ryohei sat silently, for once, though a look flashed across his face at the mention of Kyouya.

"And so I've been hiding away here, going to school and having a seemingly normal life until I feel that I'm ready to return to Italy," Tsuna finished, silently holding his breath, waiting for his subordinates' reactions. He just hoped they wouldn't overreact.

There was a short silence in the kitchen as the other three vampires let the words sink in. Then a look of horror appeared on Hayato's face, causing Tsuna to cringe a bit.

"You've been having a normal life here while all hell practically broke loose back in Italy because of your disappearance?"

Hayato wanted to get angry at Tsuna. He wanted to rant and rave on how practically selfish Tsuna was for not wanting to immediately return to Italy. He wanted to, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. This was his boss after all, the person he practically worshipped, and he hoped beyond hope that Tsuna had a good reason of not returning to Italy as soon as he could.

Inhaling deeply to calm himself down, Hayato asked, "So what do you plan to do now that we've found you?"

Tsuna took a moment to ponder his answer, turning his cup around in his hands. "I don't know. I don't feel ready to return to Italy as of yet."

Hayato nodded a little. "I understand Juudaime," he said even though he actually didn't; at least not by much.

"Well I don't," Ryohei said bluntly and it enticed a small chuckle from Tsuna, an amused smile from Lambo, and a scowl from Hayato.

Still smiling Tsuna turned his head to look at the wall clock hanging on the far wall. It was half past ten and it was getting late. And even though Kyouya knew of a vampire's sleeping patterns, he will not tolerate Tsuna staying up late in his house; at least not in his own room. Sighing, the pureblood stood from his seat and spoke.

"It's late, we should be heading to bed," he said, looking at Hayato who looked back with hope-filled eyes. Tsuna chuckled a little. "Yes, you'll be staying here tonight; all three of you."

Hayato settled for pumping his fist in the air in victory (as opposed to letting out a loud whoop of triumph). Ryohei only grinned widely while Lambo looked a little put-off.

"We didn't bring any overnight clothes," the Bovino said.

"Don't worry about it," Tsuna said, waving his hand flippantly. "I'm sure I can coax Kyouya-san into lending a couple pajamas. And as for clothes for tomorrow; well, we're vampires. You'll be able to get your clothes from whether you're staying at lickity split."

Lambo chuckled at that while Ryohei laughed loudly and even Hayato managed an amused smile. Proud at having lightened up the mood, Tsuna showed his subordinates his room, one they were going to have to share but it was fortunately large enough to accommodate them all. Leaving his friends alone for a while, Tsuna left his room and went to the neighboring room, knocking on the door and letting himself in without waiting for an answer.

He found Kyouya sitting at his desk, his arms and legs crossed as he frowned at the wood. Tsuna thought it was a rather curious position to be in but placed his thoughts on it as trivial.

"What happened?" Kyouya asked just as Tsuna had slipped the door shut.

"Takeshi-kun was attacked by my subordinate Hayato-kun, the one you met so eloquently," Tsuna said rather sardonically as he slipped into his boss persona even though it wasn't really required in Kyouya's presence. "I was able to intervene before any further damage was implemented, but while returning to TakeSushi, we were attacked by three rogues. They were easily disposed of however with Yamamoto-san's help. Apparently my suspicions were correct and Yamamoto-san is in fact a vampire slayer and a First Class one at that."

The last thing Kyouya wanted was more questions to fill his head, but there Tsuna was, providing information that prompted more questions. But instead of voicing out his questions, Kyouya stayed silent, pretty sure that Tsuna knew what questions he wanted answered the most.

"There is an organization called the Order of Nightfall that protects humans from us vampires, though they mostly deal with rogues," Tsuna said as he strode over and sat down on Kyouya's bed. Kyouya spun his chair around to face him, his eyes closed and his arms and legs still crossed. "There are three classes of slayers; First Class is the strongest but a small group while Third Class is the most common and the Second Class is scattered about in there. Yamamoto-san is actually a retired slayer but he helped us and after clearing out a few things with him I was able to get additional help from him." Tsuna sighed and rubbed his eyes, tired after the events of the night. "Yamamoto-san didn't slay me because there's a contract between the Order of Nightfall and the purebloods that prevent them from laying their judgment on purebloods and those under the protection of pureblooded families; those without the protection have to fend for themselves."

There was a silence after Tsuna's explanation and Kyouya allowed the information to process in his mind. Undoubtedly vampires were a complex species and all this talk about purebloods and families absolutely meant nothing to the human. He still wanted to know more though; it was like he had his own thirst.

"If Yamamoto Takeshi was bitten by your idiot subordinate, then does that mean he will be one of you?" Kyouya asked, opening his eyes and looking at Tsuna who dropped his hands to his sides. He noticed that the pureblood's eyes had returned to their normal color, but they were half-lidded in exhaustion and glossed over in impending sleep.

"Oh no," Tsuna chuckled a bit. "Becoming a vampire needs more then just a bite from one. You need to exchange blood of course and when you awaken from Turning – which I hear is rather painful – you need to Feed almost immediately. Though I would not recommend Feeding on another vampire for their blood taste horrible." He shuddered a bit, obviously knowing what the blood of other vampires taste like. "Not us purebloods though; since we are born, not made, our blood is rather delicious as I hear. Unfortunately those who drink our blood may go mad because it gives an incredible power boost to the drinker; there is also a rumor that if you eat the heart of a pureblood you gain an incredible new power as well as become completely pureblood yourself if you're not one." He shrugged. "But that's just a rumor. There aren't many who are willing to go up against and kill a pureblood."

Kyouya had raised an eyebrow at Tsuna's would-be ramblings. It seems that he had a habit doing so when he was rather tired and he did not realize what he was doing because of his state. Kyouya would've taken advantage of such a situation but seeing the young vampire looking like that made the desire fade.

"Go to sleep herbivore, you need it," he said flatly, not wanting to sound concerned in any way.

Tsuna sighed deeply and swept himself to his feet. "Yeah, I know," he said, removing his hair tie and then ruffling his hair about, renewing his natural spikes.

"And how you got here in your unsavory state is beyond me."

Tsuna looked down at himself and winced at what he saw; there were a couple tears obvious in his uniform and patches of blood as well. "I didn't even realize I looked so bad," he muttered, fingering the tears and tentatively touching the patches of blood, some that were dry but not all.

"Go clean up and sleep," Kyouya said, jerking his head to the door. "There're still classes tomorrow and I won't tolerate you being late."

It shouldn't surprise him that Tsuna smiled a whole damn lot, even when there was nothing to be funny about, but Kyouya still felt that small bout of surprise (as well as irritation and a little warm, fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach) when Tsuna smiled at him.

"Thank you Kyouya-san," said the pureblood as he moved towards the door. "Oyasumi nasai."

Kyouya only nodded and once the door closed behind Tsuna, he let out the breath he was holding as well as uncrossed his arms, showing that he had actually been tightly clutching his hands. That warm, fluttering feeling was still there though and he didn't know whether he should feel sick or give into the impulse to suddenly smile.

* * *

The next day Kyouya descended the stairs and stepped into the kitchen only to find that it was occupied with three vampires who were obviously having a grand time chatting. Fortunately the chatting ceased when he appeared and he was subject of a smile, a glare, a curious look, and a look of awkwardness.

"Kyouya-san, ohayo!" Tsuna greeted the human. He was standing by the stove, holding a plate of freshly fried bacon and wearing the white apron that Kyouya had hanging about. It brought a pleasant feeling to the older brunet's stomach again, but he quickly pushed it aside.

"I will not tolerate crowding in my house," he said, narrowing his eyes at the other vampires. The smile was replaced by a slightly nervous look, the glare became more heated, an eyebrow raised higher, and the awkwardness in a pair of grey eyes didn't go away but held a glimmer of fond recognition.

"Gomen Kyouya-san, but I didn't want them to leave last night," Tsuna said, placing the plate on the table but not sitting down himself. "But don't worry they won't stay here every night. Though you might be seeing them again more times then you can count from now on."

Kyouya only scowled and his hands twitched, itching to grab his tonfa. He was quite proud that he was able to rein back on his anger for a while but he could feel the reins slipping from his grasp now. Fortunately Tsuna also sensed that.

"Hayato-kun, Lambo, Oniisan," Tsuna spoke up, gaining the attention of his three subordinates. "Would you please go up to my room and pack my necessary school supplies?"

Hayato transferred his gaze to Tsuna, narrowing a bit in suspicion. "But Juudaime you don't need-"

"Let's go!" Lambo cut the halfblood off, grabbing said halfblood's wrist and practically dragging him away. Hayato didn't go without a fight though and he protested loudly. Ryohei followed the duo closely, only stopping once he stood at Kyouya's side.

"Nice to see you again Hibari," he said to the prefect, flashing a nervous smile.

Kyouya's eyebrow lifted and he was suddenly subject to a couple flashbacks of a grey-haired young teen with a loud voice and exuberant invitations to join the boxing club. "Sasagawa Ryohei," he said, only a tiny hint of disbelief able to seep through his tone of voice. "I must admit that it is surprising that you are one of them."

Ryohei's nervous smile turned into an all out grin. "It's a long story," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "But I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell my family I'm alive. It won't do their poor hearts any good seeing as they were there when I died."

Kyouya only grunted noncommittally but it was good enough for Ryohei for he grinned and nodded in acceptance before going off to help Lambo drag a still very loud Hayato up the stairs. In the end, they had to haul the halfblood upstairs with Lambo holding onto Hayato's upper body while Ryohei grasped his legs. He still protested loudly but was successfully dragged upstairs.

Soon the kitchen was quiet again and Kyouya and Tsuna were left alone. The pureblood in question was washing the dishes and Kyouya took his regular seat at the table, ready to break his fast with a Western breakfast. He picked up a piece of toast, sneered at the butter (he rather disliked it when it comes to toast) and ate it dry. As he ate, Tsuna finished putting the dishes on the drying rack, then wiped his hands on his apron before removing it and hanging it on the back of his chair before sitting down. He then snagged a piece of bacon and chewed on it, looking thoughtful.

"So you know Oniisan huh?" he said after swallowing his mouthful of bacon. "Small world indeed."

Kyouya grunted and said flatly, "He asked you the join the boxing club."

"Multiple times," Tsuna said with a small chuckle. "Still keeps asking me actually but I always turn him down. Boxing isn't for me and I think it's rather unfair, seeing as we have enhanced strength and all…"

The short conversation transited into companionable silence, one that they always found themselves in. For a moment Kyouya pretended that it was another ordinary day with the herbivore and that there were no other vampires in the vicinity. He pretended that there was only the two of them sharing his house, exchanging pleasantries (or as pleasant as Kyouya could get) and delicious food and Tsuna laughing while Kyouya hid an amused smirk behind a glass of water or whatnot. But unfortunately that little illusion was shattered when footsteps thundered down the stairs and the loud silver-haired idiot that smelled of cigarettes practically exploded into the room, his sea-green eyes narrowing at Kyouya.

"Are you all right Juudaime?" he panted. "The bastard didn't do anything to you did he?"

A couple of muscles on Tsuna's face twitched as he tried to find patience for his subordinate. He was saved from answering however when Kyouya stood up from his seat, his breakfast already having been consumed and his plate laying empty on the table's wooden surface.

"If you crowd my house any longer I will bite you all to death," the prefect said with so much venom in his voice that even Hayato took a step back. He reined back his malevolent aura however at Tsuna's worried look and without another word Kyouya left the kitchen and soon the house, looking prim, proper, and menacing like he always did.

Silence followed Kyouya's exit. Quietly Lambo appeared at the kitchen's doorway, his eyes at the front door just meters away. Ryohei was behind him but unlike Hayato and the aforementioned Bovino, he didn't look so surprised at the prefect's unconsciously dramatic exit. He had seen it countless times before after all.

"And you call that your friend, Tsuna?" Lambo spoke up, giving his boss an incredulous look which Hayato mirrored.

Tsuna only sighed almost exasperatingly.

* * *

There were fervent whispers wherever they went and eyes darted towards them as they passed. Blushing female faces were the norm as were the scowling faces of most of the males. After all, it wasn't everyday that a group of handsome boys strolled through the halls of Namimori High School, though the mortals were furiously wondering why they were hanging around the nerdy new kid, Mizuki Yoshi who was, of course, Tsuna.

Said brunet sighed again, sensing the group of giggling girls trailing after their own little group. Lambo didn't mind the girls at all, offering them sly winks and flying kisses that made more then one girl swoon. Hayato was prone to cussing up a storm whenever girls got too close and rowdy around him, but that probably increased their desire for the silver-haired half-Italian. And despite having quite a large number of fans for himself, Ryohei was rather oblivious to the stalkers for he was too distracted by the thought of visiting and helping out the boxing club (which, to his utter dismay, did not have as many members as he had hoped). At least he was being smart and decided to wear a disguise when walking around the campus as a precaution. Even Hayato praised him with the good idea, however reluctant it was.

"Really, do you guys have to follow me everywhere?" Tsuna half-whined for the umpteenth time that day. He disliked all the attention his subordinates were getting which subsequently pulled him in as well. He wanted to blend in after all, not stand out like a ganguro in a sea of Goths!

"Juudaime, since you refuse to return to Italy then it is our duty to guard you with our lives!" Hayato exclaimed, causing some students that passed by them to give them incredulous looks.

Sighing, Tsuna gestured for Lambo and Hayato to remove their translation devices before he switched to speaking Italian. "_But you three are attracting too much attention! I came here to be inconspicuous and you're practically ruining my cover!_"

There it was, Hayato's kicked puppy look that immediately made Tsuna regret saying anything. He resisted the urge to turn and bang his head against the nearest wall in frustration, but fortunately Lambo cut in.

"_I think Tsuna's right Stupidera_," he said, earning a glare from the silver-haired guardian. "_We _are_ attracting too much attention. Perhaps we can guard Tsuna from the shadows, therefore we can still keep an eye on him while not attracting so many girls which__,__ I admit__,__ is a loss for me._"

Tsuna gave Lambo a hard look. He had never liked having guards around him, even when he was back in Italy, because that meant he had no privacy whatsoever. But then again, though he knew perfectly well that he could take care of himself, he could clearly remember what happened that got him into this mess in the first place, all because he refused any guards to accompany him on his vacation.

"_Just… don't attract so much attention around here,_" Tsuna said unnecessarily, looking around at the girls that were still hoping to talk with any of the other three boys. It wasn't that he wasn't used to it; girls flocked to them left, right, and center back in Italy. But he didn't want his cover to be blown after all. Besides, he rather liked blending in so well. To the humans, he was just another regular student. It was a nice position to fall back into.

"_On it boss,_" Lambo said with a smirk as he replaced his translators. Then with a wave and a wink towards the group of girls (cue the swooning) he walked down the hall and turned a corner where Tsuna knew there was a flight of stairs.

Sighing in defeat, Hayato replaced his translators as well and made a show of bowing at Tsuna and declaring his leave in a loud voice. This embarrassed the pureblood and he quickly dismissed his silver-haired guardian who saluted and ran down the hall opposite where Lambo had disappeared to. Unfortunately that meant he had to brave the crowd of fangirls but Tsuna was sure that his colorful vocabulary and habit of shoving people aside despite their gender would remedy that little situation.

That only left Ryohei, whose was sticking his now dark head of hair out of the nearby window.

"Oniisan, you're going to fall out of the window if you lean further," Tsuna said, his voiced laced with fond amusement.

"I can't see the boxing club's clubhouse from here," Ryohei whined, leaning forward so much that his upper body was practically parallel with the floor.

Tsuna laughed and shook his head. "You can go see the boxing club if you want. I have Hayato-kun and Lambo guarding over me so I'll be-," he barely finished the sentence when Ryohei practically flew down the hall and towards the stairs, his heavy footsteps echoing in the relatively empty hallway, "-fine… At least he didn't jump out the window…"

* * *

Irritation was an emotion familiar to Kyouya. He had felt it countless times when he comes across citizens of Namimori disrupting his peace and breaking his rules. He even got irritated over mundane everyday things like when the milk ran out therefore he had to walk five blocks to buy some more or when there was a sudden black out when he was in the middle of watching his favorite TV show.

But though the emotion he was feeling right now was similar to irritation, it wasn't quite the same. It left a bubbling feeling in the pit of his stomach, something like an itch beneath his skin that he couldn't scratch and wouldn't go away no matter how many rule-breakers bodies he broke. And just when he thought the feeling calmed inside of him, finally leaving his mind, something waltzed into the room to make the feeling flare up again like fire from a Bunsen burner.

Or rather it was someone who went by the name of Tsuna.

Kyouya didn't know why seeing the pureblooded vampire with his subordinates irritated him. Seeing him laugh with the three idiots made him want to bite someone to death even though it didn't bring any sort of satisfaction like it used to. He contemplated just dragging Tsuna to the reception room and locking the both of them in there, but he didn't even know why he would want to do that, so why go through with it? It wasn't like it was going to do anything about that bubbling feeling whenever he saw the group of blood-suckers. At the very least Tsuna would get angry at him for even thinking of locking him away so that his friends wouldn't get to him and Kyouya didn't want that. Besides, they were powerful creatures; one locked door wouldn't deter them at the least.

But why was it that ever since the vampire quite literally dropped in on Kyouya's life everything just got a little bit more complicated? Kyouya was feeling emotions he never felt before if not thought he never had. It was infuriating and he felt like going on a rampage throughout town. Or maybe just grab Tsuna and…

And what? What did he actually want from the vampire? He didn't know and to be honest he didn't want to know. These foreign feelings that were surfacing within him were bad enough.

The sound of laughter snapped Kyouya out of his reverie and he looked over at the group of vampires who were walking about campus at one of Tsuna's free periods. They looked so carefree, so normal, and just so… happy. Kyouya didn't know whether he wanted to bite them to death or bash his head against the wall just for thinking that.

Sighing in frustration, Kyouya spun on his heels and stomped away. Even if his usual disciplinary actions didn't quite satisfy him as much these days, it still made him feel better. And now he had just spotted a group of boys who looked convinced that they could get away with smoking on school grounds. Well, not if Kyouya had anything to say about it…

* * *

It was two weeks after Tsuna had reunited with his three subordinates. To say that things have gone back to normal was both the truth and not. To Tsuna, being around his guardians was normal enough for him, having had years to get used to the unique atmosphere they emitted. But to Kyouya things have gone from normal, to weird (with Tsuna's appearance in his life) to outright insanity (with the three new vampires frequenting his home). His home was frequently invaded by the supernatural creatures and half of his school's population (which consisted mostly of females) had gone insane by their presence even though Tsuna had told them to keep out of sight (they often accompanied the pureblood heir at mealtimes, which gave the females ample time to ogle).

Kyouya's irritation had only sky-rocketed through those fourteen days and everyone knew to steer clear of the brunet whenever they spotted him walking their way. Before they were able to at least stand at attention as he walked past, as long as they weren't crowding about, but now Kyouya practically bit to death everything in his path. It was not a pretty sight.

That night was quiet with only the occasional barking of a dog, mewling of a cat, or the roar of an engine from an automobile. The Hibari household was silent and dark since all its lights were off, but both residents were unable to sleep. Kyouya was unable to because his thoughts were centered on a certain vampire (much to his ever growing irritation) and Tsuna was unable because his bloodlust has flared.

Purebloods may be able to reign in on their bloodlust far longer than normal vampires can, but they still have the thirst. Tsuna had long since depleted his supply of blood packets and had been putting off getting more because of his subordinate's appearances and because he was reluctant of stealing without Kyouya's permission (strange thought there) but tonight he was restless and kept shifting about in his futon. He could hear the heartbeat of the other resident of the house and several of the neighbors and they were irking him with their tempting tempo. He knew that he couldn't put off Feeding any longer but he refused to give in to his desires and just dart off into the night. He needed to talk to Kyouya and with that thought in mind, he threw off his covers and left his room.

It was only until he was standing in front of Kyouya's bedroom door, hand posed ready to knock, that he remembered that it was in the middle of the night and Kyouya was quite possibly asleep. And Tsuna knew how Kyouya hated to be wakened from sleep by another person.

Sighing to himself, Tsuna dropped his hand and pondered on what he should do. If he woke Kyouya up, he'd be in for a major glaring and perhaps some tonfa work. If he didn't wake Kyouya up, he'd likely sneak out and steal some blood packets without the perfect knowing, which might sound sensible to some people but Kyouya was highly observant and he will realize when the blood packets had been replenished in the refrigerator.

Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how one looks upon the situation) Tsuna needn't decide for it seemed Fate decided for him when the door opened before him and there stood a slightly red-eyed but otherwise completely awake prefect.

There was a moment of silence where Tsuna stood blinking at Kyouya but the prefect only frowned down at him, his irritation flaring again.

"Well? What is it that you want herbivore?" he asked sharply, wanting only to sleep but unable to do so because of the creature standing before him.

Tsuna blinked once more before visibly composing himself and lifting his chin to meet Kyouya's eyes. "I wanted to ask if I could raid the hospital again for blood packets," he said confidently but hungrily. "I have neglected my bloodlust but now I need blood."

Kyouya scrutinized Tsuna and only now began notice the red sheen in his orange eyes. How long has it been since he last Fed? And why didn't Kyouya notice the boy's bloodlust before? Has he really been so immersed in his own confusing thoughts that he couldn't even take notice of his surroundings? Has he been that blind?

"In case you haven't noticed, it's the middle of the night," Kyouya said, turning back into his room and expecting Tsuna to follow which the vampire did. "I do not appreciate being bothered all because you want to steal some blood."

The expression on Tsuna's face looked like a cross between anger and distress. "But, Kyouya-san…"

"Which is why," Kyouya interrupted before Tsuna can say anything else, "you will be taking my blood in the meantime."

Tsuna's expression of shock would've been comical if it wasn't for his red eyes. "No, Kyouya-san, I refuse to take your blood!"

"Well too bad because I refuse to let you leave this house." Kyouya's glare would've subdued any uncooperative individual but Tsuna glared back defiantly and a bit menacingly for he bared his fangs and his eyes glowed red.

"You forget that I am stronger then you," Tsuna practically growled, his bloodlust getting the better of him. "Besides, I'm only using your home as a safe house. I don't need permission from you for anything."

Kyouya raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then why did you ask me in the first place?"

Tsuna faltered and he worked his mouth though no sound escaped. He couldn't grasp an argument for that and his blood-deprived brain was only focused on Feeding, on getting the blood he was hungry for. Kyouya in the meantime sat on his bed, smirking at Tsuna's lack of words. It was the first time that the vampire had nothing to say to him and he rather liked it.

"It's not like you're doing it against my will," he said, lifting his hands to unbutton his pajama top. "I am offering you and fresh blood is better than chilled right? You said so yourself."

Tsuna didn't seem to be listening; his red-tinted orange eyes were following the movements of Kyouya's hands as he popped open the top few buttons of his pajamas. The long fingers moved deftly and surely, no hint of hesitation or fear. His eyes zeroed in on the pulse point that throbbed on the prefect's neck, the pumping of the blood amplified ten fold to the vampire's ears. He was so thirsty and Kyouya was offering him blood, something he hadn't had in weeks. It was extremely tempting and the temptation proved too much for Tsuna to resist.

He moved forward quickly, his smaller hands grabbing Kyouya's wrists. The prefect looked up at him, a bit startled but not at all surprised by the vampire's movements. He knew he had won the argument and he wasn't worried that Tsuna would prevent him from offering any more then he already did.

The aforementioned vampire was silent as he stared at the expanse of fair skin that was exposed by the partially open top. He then leaned forward and rubbed the tip of his nose along the junction where shoulder met neck, almost nuzzling it. It felt smooth but he was rather distracted by the smell of the blood pumping beneath the skin to make any more notes about it. He also didn't notice that Kyouya was silent as well, watching him with curious eyes. He was far too deep into temptation to notice anything else actually except his own thirst.

Still keeping up his silent vigil, Tsuna released Kyouya's wrists (he didn't even notice he was still holding them) and placed his hands on the broad chest, inwardly marveling at just how soft the skin felt beneath the pads of his fingers. He rarely ever touched the prefect's bare skin and when he did it was always fleeting, not enough time to register just how soft or rough the skin would feel like. Unfortunately Tsuna was not in the right state of mind to actually enjoy what he felt.

Complying to the silent demand, Kyouya pushed himself backwards until his back made contact with the headboard of his bed with the vampire straddling his thighs. He didn't know what Tsuna would do next and, to be honest, he was a little nervous, but his decision was made. He had offered and Tsuna had accepted (albeit silently and a little reluctantly) so he wasn't backing out now. He watched as those red-tinted eyes roamed the expanse of flesh that was peeking out from behind dark fabric, mostly focusing on his neck where he would be eventually biting into no doubt. Kyouya felt like squirming under the scrutiny but viciously stomped down on that urge because he was Hibari Kyouya and he did not squirm in any circumstance.

Tsuna looked like he was practically salivating at the thought of drinking fresh blood. His lips were slightly parted, revealing the long fangs that grew with the thirst. A pink tongue darted out to wet the dry lips and he opened his mouth further, showing the glinting sharp ends of his fangs. He leaned forward, intending to get his meal, but hesitated just a few inches from his goal. His rational state of mind was still putting up a bit of a fight and he swallowed hard, trying to find his voice.

"Are… Are you sure?" he whispered hoarsely, feeling nervous because he hadn't fed from a human in years.

Kyouya resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation, settling for only rolling his eyes heavenward. "Just do it herbivore," he said, lifting a hand and placing it on the back of Tsuna's head, pressing the vampire's face against his neck. "Bite me and get it over with. I'd like to go back to sleep sometime tonight."

Tsuna was silent for a second, then he removed the prefect's hand from his head and mumbled, "Not there, you'd die if I bite you there." Kyouya nearly snorted but reined in that desire settling for rolling his eyes again. After a second the vampire moved his face from Kyouya's neck to his shoulder, opening mouth so that his fangs were free. He leaned forward, pressing the tips of his sharp teeth on the fair skin, rubbing against it as if he was trying to get a feel for it. He fancied that he felt a shudder travel through the prefect's body but he was a bit too preoccupied to take notice. When he felt that neither of them can wait any longer, he applied pressure and his teeth broke through the skin, easily sliding through the flesh and releasing the warm crimson liquid that resided there.

He almost moaned at the amazing taste that assaulted his taste buds. Fresh blood was so much better than packaged, chilled blood. He could feel energy humming through his bones with each suck, each swallow and he felt almost delirious. He was so keen on the blood in his mouth, the energy filling his being up, the pure elation of Feeding, that he almost didn't notice what he was doing to his "victim".

Kyouya had expected pain. After all, it was a supernatural creature biting him and drinking his blood. He would be surprised if there _wasn't_ any pain involved. Tsuna's fangs breaking into his flesh certainly was painful, even more painful then the memories he had of dogs biting him on the leg when he was much younger. But Kyouya completely thrown off course when the pain of having his blood sucked out suddenly turned into _pleasure_. He could feel it tingling every nerve in his body, traveling to the base of his spine, making his toes curl, and waking up a part of his anatomy that he had long-since thought was dormant (or, at very least, he just might be a very late bloomer). It was a new feeling, new sensations that he never thought he would experience in his life, and what was worse that he actually wanted to feel more. As if the vampire sucking his neck wasn't bad enough…

His hands were more sure then his mind was though and they drifted of their own accord, settling on Tsuna's thin waist and gripping them tightly. The vampire didn't notice and Kyouya had to bite his lip as another wave of pleasure almost caused him to moan out loud. But his hands, once again, moved of their own accord, pulling Tsuna's hips forward as he lifted his own, practically slamming them together to create a delicious friction that had his eyelids fluttering shut and an almost inaudible moan rumble through his chest.

Tsuna was oblivious to Kyouya's actions, much too caught up in his Feeding. Kyouya didn't even know how much time had past and he vaguely wondered if he was losing much more blood then he intended on. But the vague thought was quickly chased away by more pleasure and again, the prefect was grinding against Tsuna's hips, panting at the pleasure and aching hardness that pulsed between his legs.

But if Kyouya thought that he would get away with pleasuring himself, he thought wrong. With each mouthful of blood Tsuna became more and more aware of what was happening around him and by the time Kyouya was grinding against him like there was no tomorrow, he could feel each push against his groin, each pulse of pleasure that pulsed through even his own body. He was entirely aware that Kyouya's inhibitions have broken and were practically nonexistent as of that moment. And despite having had his fill of blood already he let the prefect reach his way to release. Tsuna had been in these situations before and he found that it was easier to let his victim get the pleasure out of their system before anything else.

Kyouya didn't last long, probably because he doesn't pleasure himself as much as a regular teenaged boy would. Not a second later Tsuna felt the prefect's body tense beneath him and, with a low grunt, Kyouya found his release, his body shaking in effect. Tsuna watched his face scrunch up at his climax, brows furrowing and teeth gritting behind stretched pale lips. The vampire thought it was a rather enticing sight, but his thoughts didn't linger on it.

As Kyouya lay there panting, trying to get his bearings again, Tsuna leaned towards him, his tongue flicking out so that he could lick the prefect's shoulder clean of blood. A small shiver traveled through his spine at the taste; it was good blood, probably the best he had in a long while. Blood from a living human certainly was better then just blood packets or from animals.

Feeling the coarse tongue caressing his skin, Kyouya was slammed back into reality and he felt a myriad of emotions rush through his being; shame, embarrassment, anger. He wanted to push the vampire away and yell at him, telling him to get out of his house and out of his life. But his body wouldn't obey him. He just sat there like a rag doll, his heart racing again and his jaw clenching and unclenching in what could've been nervousness. Finally Tsuna stopped licking him and the vampire leaned back, his now clear orange eyes studying Kyouya's face intently.

"No need to be embarrassed," he said as if he was reading Kyouya's thoughts. "It's a natural reaction. We give pleasure to those we bite and I won't hold it against you if you lose control. Almost everyone does; or at least everyone who's managed to survive a vampire's bite."

Kyouya's stayed silent, his face slightly flushed in both indignation and from the exertion of his earlier activity. He sorely wanted Tsuna to leave his room and leave him in peace, but at the same time, for some reason he couldn't understand, he wanted the vampire to stay and perhaps have a repeat performance of what happened earlier, the only difference being that Tsuna was actually reciprocating Kyouya's own actions. He didn't know why, but it stung Kyouya that the vampire was being so nonchalant about the situation.

In Kyouya's silence, Tsuna slid off of the bed and stood, his small body bathed in the little moonlight that seeped through a gap in the curtains. "Thank you for giving me your blood, and please, don't ever offer it to me again."

And then, in the blink of an eye, Tsuna was gone, the only indication of him having left was the soft click of the closing door.

Kyouya let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding and sank further into his pillows, feeling mortified beyond belief. Never had he lost control in such a manner and he knew that it was going to be awkward being around the vampire from now on. He was beginning to regret bringing that boy into his home; his life was perfect and disciplined before Tsuna came crashing into it. Now he barely knew what was what any more. _Damned herbivore…_

In the hallway outside of the door, unbeknownst to the prefect, Tsuna was leaning against the wall, his heart racing and one hand covering his mouth while the other hand reached down to adjust his pajama pants which suddenly felt very confining.

Both boys had had a taste of the other and both were reluctant to discover that they actually wanted more.

**

* * *

A/N:** My god, what a long wait huh? I actually finished this a week before but I haven't heard a word from my beta for some reason… so I decided to post it as is. Better then waiting for another week…

Anyway, Happy Halloween to you all! I love this holiday because it means horror movie marathons! LOL I hope you don't get too scared, ne?

I'd like to say more things but I'm too damned lazy… Now I just hope that the next chapter won't take so long. LOL Happy Holidays my loyal readers!

**

* * *

Omake:**

Tsuna stared. He knew it was rude to stare, but he couldn't help it. Not when something so out of this world was happening in front of his eyes,

"…Itsu demo I love you. Kimi ni Take kiss me. Wasurerarenai kara boku no daiji na memorii…"

Kyouya was singing. That in itself wasn't so odd. He had a beautiful singing voice and would sing to himself as long as no one was around to hear (good thing Tsuna was good at sneaking about) but this song was vastly different then from the songs Kyouya would usually sing. It was bubbly and happy and Tsuna was sure that if he heard the music it would sound all pop and techno.

The really odd thing was that Kyouya was actually _dancing_ to the song. Well, it couldn't be called dancing if he was only moving his head from side to side, but Tsuna could see the faint movement of hips. He wondered what the dance actually looked like and he left his Cloud Guardian alone to sing and dance so that he could look up the song on the internet.

Tsuna found the song after much Googling, but not many songs had those lyrics. He saw that the song was called Fukkireta and there were many videos of characters from different forms of media singing and dancing to it. The dance itself was just swinging the hips from side to side to the beat of the music and headshots would only show the head swinging from side to side. Tsuna tried to imagine what Kyouya would look like if he actually danced to it but he found himself laughing a loud his little daydream.

After all, Kyouya wouldn't be caught dead dancing like that right?

Er… right…?

_(Fukkireta is my new love… search it on youtube and be enlightened… and yes there are KHR ones too…)_


	9. Interlude: The Smoking Bomb

**A/N:** Oh. My. God. It has been such a long wait for all of us hasn't it? A few more months and it would have been a year. I'm sorry for making you all wait but I have seriously bashed into a bit of writer's block concerning this story. Don't fear though dear readers. I fully intend on finishing this even though I have to scrap a few ideas for this story and probably bring down the chapter count. I guess I'm not all that cut out for multi-chapter stories ^^;

Moving on, I want to thank those who submitted ideas. You're all the big help, seriously, especially to Sarah Eustacia Eve Rosalie who gave me some inspiration for this chapter. You're all so supportive and I hope you'll continue giving me inspiration!

This chapter is an interlude, only because I thought it would be a good break from the plot and the next chapter, which I'm still having quite a difficult time to write. This interlude isn't finished though because I'm tired of seeing it sitting unfinished in my hard drive and the story not being updated. Next interlude will continued this mini-plot though. I hope you don't mind :3

Now, enough of my babbling. Please enjoy a new chapter! 8D

**Warning:** A lot of implications like drug use, pedophilia, underage drinking, and gang violence. Dark, eh?

* * *

**Chapter VIIII:**

**Interlude: The Smoking Bomb**

* * *

It was November in New York City, just after the holiday that Americans called Thanksgiving. A young vampire with silver hair and sea-green eyes stood at the window of his room in a rather lavish-looking townhouse, looking past his reflection on the glass and watching snow drift from the sky and landing gently onto the ground. It was a quiet night, at least for this part of town, with only the stray human or car ambling past on the streets below.

Hayato, the name of the young vampire, was lost in his memories and remembering that it had been on this night, nearly four years ago, that he had run away from home in a fit of rage and betrayal that he rightfully felt yet foolishly implemented.

Home. He thought that he had stopped calling the place he grew up in by that name, but evidently not. Despite the bad things he had experienced in there, the good memories always outweighed them. He supposed that, at twelve years old, he was still too young to even start hardening his heart against what he used to know.

The thought only strengthened his resolve in hardening it.

Sometimes, he would wonder if running away had been such a good idea. He practically did it without thought and that surely wasn't a testament to his high IQ. He had just been so angry and felt so betrayed that he packed his bags and left, almost without regret. It felt right at that time, even though he had only been eight. And it felt good to throw his rebellious actions into his father's face.

But the world he had faced when he left his childhood home was far different then anything he had imagined.

He had been scared of course, when faced with other runaways like him who had to do disgusting things in order to survive the cruel streets and even crueler world. He had to join them though, when he realized that the money he had would not last long. He also had to be careful with his Thirst, since he had to Feed more frequently then the ordinary vampire due to his halfblood status. But he was careful and he succeeded.

For a while at least.

He soon caught the attention of a vampire gang that ruled the streets from the shadows. He had been blinded into following them, like a puppy would follow its master with absolute loyalty. He was promised power and glory, things that were beyond his wildest dreams.

But the price for that was to the see the suffering of others.

One would suppose that a vampire would get used to seeing suffering, considering that most of the nourishment that kept them alive (and they were _alive_) came from blood, the life liquid of every creature on the planet. But Hayato was young and had grown up in a sheltered environment, where blood would be handed to him in a golden goblet if he so wished it. The only kind of suffering he had seen were minor and mundane, the suffering that even ordinary humans experience.

The kind of suffering he saw while with the gang was far different.

Druggies and drunkards and those who have lost all hope in life filled his day to day activities. Darkened souls of gang members, both vampire and human, swam before his vision, showing him that they have no objections in killing those who got in their way or when their way wasn't achieved. He saw death and sin and the crushing of free will. He even experienced being in the presence of lecherous personalities that sent cold chills up his spine whenever he caught their eye or felt their gaze running over his young body, which was not a pleasant sensation.

And that was only the tip of the fucking iceberg.

Hayato pursed his lips, the memories making him feel sour, then he let out a tired sigh and leaned his head against the cool glass.

He had tried to escape that life. Multiple times even, defying the thought that he was strong and he would endure despite being only a child. But he couldn't endure, at least in his own mind. He hated what life he had made for himself, hated it as much as he hated the betrayal he still felt towards his father.

He found out quickly enough that he couldn't escape the life he had stupidly made for himself. At least not without help. And he did have that form of help more then once, but each time he had tried to escape with others, he was always caught. He was locked in a cage he made for himself and he gave away the key to someone who enjoyed seeing him locked up like some kind of animal. It was degrading, infuriating, and depressing.

And he hated it, so much.

* * *

**A/N:** Hands up if you think I've made Hayato-kun's past much more angsty then Ryohei's? *sees a lot of hands* Yeah, that was the point. Lololol! I hope you liked it, even though it was kind of rushed. I already had Hayato's past mapped out in my head, but writing it down was easier said than done, even with the info I got from his Wiki page.

Now, lemme see… my family and I moved into a new house (where I finally got my own room), my bro got an XBOX 360 which I took advantage of plenty of times, we have a new baby in the house (who is a cousin we sort of adopted), my relatives who I haven't seen in years have visited for two weeks (my cousins were _really_ fun to hang out with), and I recently bought a Four-tailed Naruto plushie who I have called Naruubi. Said plushie is now my new best friend. LOL

Oh, and for any of my bilingual fans out there, this story has now been translated into Spanish by nyanko1827! Two of my oneshots have also been translated to Vietnamese, but I have no idea what site it was posted on. You know what this means? I'm moving up the ladder of fanfiction fame! *shot* LOL

Anyway, that's that. A new chapter (however short it was), a small update on my life, hooray, hallelujah, time to celebrate, all that jazz. Don't fret about the next chapter taking another year to update because I'm already halfway through writing it! It's not easy trying to make things awkward between our protagonists you know! XDDD

Thank you for putting up with me! Oh, and take a peek at my new Tumblr account. I'll be posting various little tidbits there, even things concerning this story, so don't be shy in stopping by at emotivegothika(dot)tumblr(dot)com! Can't wait to see you there! 8D

* * *

**Preview (this should be renamed to teaser lol):**

_Hayato growled in irritation but refrained from snapping back at his fellow subordinate due to Tsuna's pointed glare. "Well what's your theory? That Juudaime's actually attracted to him?" he said sarcastically, not really serious about his statement._

But that statement was like a bomb on Tsuna's mind.

Him? Attracted to Kyouya? Well, yes, the prefect was a handsome fellow (even more so when he was aroused– oh God stop thinking about that Tsuna!) and, of course, Tsuna was attracted to his blood, but was he really attracted to the person behind the violence and discipline?

He couldn't answer that question. Not now. It was just too confusing.


	10. Calm Before the Storm

**A/N:** I'm sorry for taking so long with this chapter. Between writer's block and breeding plot bunnies (those horny bastards), I barely gave any thought to this. It makes me feel like I'm failing you all… But now here is the new chapter after such a long wait. Please don't kill me…

I want to thank those who submitted ideas, especially to Orcrux and Luthinuvielle who gave me some inspiration for this chapter. You're all so supportive and I hope you'll continue giving me inspiration!

* * *

**Chapter X:**

**Calm Before the Storm**

* * *

When Kyouya woke up the next morning, he felt oddly rested and relaxed. He pondered on why for a moment, staring at the light that filtered through his curtains, until the memory of what happened last night hit him like a ton of bricks. His hand shot up and felt the area where Tsuna had bit him, feeling it tingle with the ghost sensation of fangs piercing his skin. He remembered being aroused by it so much that he lost himself, rutting unashamedly against the vampire like some kind of starved slut until he was brought off.

Shame and embarrassment filled Kyouya's being and he hung his head, angry at himself for losing control. He felt like he couldn't bring himself to face the vampire after last night's activities. He actually wanted to dig a hole for himself and just lie there, wallowing in his self-inflicted misery. But those thoughts didn't stay with him for long. His pride fought its way to the front of his brain, telling him that last night was his own fault anyway. He offered himself to Tsuna (the thought made him shiver a bit at the implications) without knowing what exactly the effects were. And now what happened had happened, he had to face the consequences with his head held high, like the man he was.

Steeling his determination, Kyouya went through his morning rituals and made his way downstairs. He slowed when he neared the entryway to the kitchen, feeling his heart beat hard against his chest and his face heat up a bit. Taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, Kyouya entered the kitchen, only to find something that he wasn't expecting.

The room was empty of any vampire, though there were plates on the table that held today's breakfast, still hot from the stove and showing that Tsuna hadn't forgotten about Kyouya at least. Assuming that Tsuna just went to school early (which was a definite change of routine), he sat in his usual seat and picked up his chopsticks, ready to eat. As he ate, Kyouya noticed that he was actually feeling disappointed that the vampire was not there to greet him a good morning and eat breakfast with him. He was rather used to Tsuna's cheerful morning attitude, even if it irritated him sometimes. But as usual he pushed aside his feelings and focused on filling his stomach with delicious food.

Half an hour later, Kyouya was at the school, leaning against the gate as he observed the students that entered the campus, tolerating the crowding at this time in the morning, seeing as it was unavoidable, but he still felt a little irritated about it for – at least in his opinion – it was way too early in the morning for the students to be so boisterous. How they could be was beyond him.

Kyouya's eyes darted about when he heard a commotion nearby. He spotted a large group of females congregating around someone and that someone happened to be a certain baseball player who could easily be spotted over the heads of his adoring fans. As the females asked him various questions about where he was for the past two weeks and Takeshi just grinned and rubbed the back of his head as he answered half-heartedly, Kyouya remembered what Tsuna had told him two weeks previously. He remembered that the silver-haired hotheaded vampire who was one of Tsuna's subordinates had attacked the baseball star and said athlete's father was a retired vampire slayer. Recalling that little conversation with Tsuna, he also wondered what Takeshi had been doing for the past few days. Surely it shouldn't take him long to recover from his run-in with a vampire, unless he was traumatized, but even Kyouya had to admit that not a lot of things could shake the baseball star.

He desperately wanted to question the taller boy. He wanted to know if Takeshi knew about vampires, about his father, even about Tsuna. But he felt hesitant at the same time. What if he didn't really know anything at all? Then Kyouya was going to look like a damn idiot, asking about supposedly mythological creatures of the night. In the end, he pushed aside the matter to the back of his mind and continued with his duties.

It didn't take long for Kyouya to find out that Tsuna had called in sick and was not attending classes today. For some reason, his stomach clenched at that bit of information and he felt… disappointed? But why would he feel such things towards the herbivore? It's not like they were… _friends_ or anything. He was just providing a safe house out of the good of his own heart (more or less) and even gets a housekeeper and chef out of the deal. He shouldn't get attached to the vampire – or rather _anyone_ – in any way whatsoever.

Sighing and rubbing his temples, Kyouya forcefully pushed away any thoughts of the vampire and turned to more important things. Like finishing the homework he had. Contrary to popular belief, just because he didn't attend class doesn't mean he doesn't do the work. He had the teachers giving him the work and sometimes would go to them for a lecture when he didn't understand anything. He also took his tests in the safety of either the reception room or the teacher's lounge. It was better then having to crowd around with idiotic, hormone-driven herbivores.

He avoided thinking that he himself had been a hormone-driven herbivore last night and picked up his pen to begin writing his essay.

* * *

Tsuna stared at the cup of coffee in his hands, watching steam drift up and out of the dark, bitter liquid. He wasn't really much of a coffee drinker, but after the events of the previous night he felt like he could use some of the beverage.

He didn't have to take up Kyouya's offer. He didn't have to even ask for the prefect's permission about getting blood packets from the hospital. He could have easily just run off into the night and get the blood that he so desperately needed. But no, he just had to be courteous and respectful of Kyouya's request. And of course he couldn't resist the temptation of tasting the prefect's blood, something that he had been itching to do ever since he had first woken up in the older boy's bed.

_Weak_, a voice in his mind supplied, oddly sounding like Reborn, his mentor. _You're still so weak Dame-Tsuna. Have anything I taught you ever stuck?_

Tsuna snorted lightly. With the Spartan way Reborn taught it would be impossible _not_ to learn anything from him.

"Juudaime?"

Tsuna's currently brown eyes flickered up to Hayato's worried face. He looked around the table and found that Lambo and Ryohei were looking at him with the same expression. He supposed it was to be expected. After all, it wasn't like Tsuna to suddenly ditch school out of the blue (even though he _did_ call in sick). And here in a quaint little café the four of them were occupying, Tsuna was quiet and not participating in any of the other's conversation. He didn't even attempt to break up any of Ryohei and Hayato's arguments, which was a first.

"Yes Hayato-kun?" he asked, sounding tired and resigned.

His three subordinates exchanged glances, having a silent conversation in the span of one second. Tsuna nearly pouted at his subordinate's ability to do such a thing when he was right there in front of him.

"You've been rather… subdued Tsuna," Lambo stated, straightening in his seat. "Is something bothering you?"

Tsuna sighed and started to shake his head but thought better of it. These were his subordinates, the people who knew him just as well as he knew himself. He couldn't possibly lie and say that he was just fine. They would see right through it anyway. At least Reborn wasn't there because that no doubt the older vampire would've read his mind already.

"Juudaime, you know you can talk to us about anything, right?" Hayato said earnestly.

The pureblood vampire's lips twitched at that. Yes, he knew that very well. Didn't mean that he wanted to do such a thing.

But he knew that he should probably tell them about what happened the previous night. He couldn't hide something like that from his subordinates and to be honest he needed help sorting out his confusing feelings for the dark-haired prefect. He was no expert in affairs of the heart or whatever was going on between him and Kyouya.

He wasn't even sure if it could be labeled.

Making his decision, Tsuna lifted his head and looked at each of his subordinates straight in the eye. For some reason he didn't know, all three sat up straighter and looked more attentive, like they were about to be told the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Vaguely, Tsuna wondered what their reactions would be if he told them that the answer was forty-two.

"I have to tell you guys something," Tsuna started, serious yet nervous. Lambo, Ryohei, and Hayato exchanged glances again before nodding for Tsuna to continue. The young vampire took a deep breath, bracing himself. "Last night… my thirst reached its peak. I ran out of blood packets and though I could have left to get some more I thought it would be rude not to inform Kyouya-san." He snorted lightly. "Of course, he didn't like the idea of me going off to steal from his precious hospital. So instead… instead… he offered himself for me to Feed on. And I accepted."

There was a short silence and Tsuna counted down the seconds until Hayato shot up from his seat, yelling, "He offered himself to you?" for the whole café to hear.

With his face burning a bit at the rather suggestive sentence Hayato spurted out and from the looks of the other customers, Tsuna waited until Lambo and Ryohei forced Hayato back into his seat (to his credit, the halfblood looked sheepish and regretful of his outburst). Rubbing a hand against his face, Tsuna listened as his subordinates made their thoughts known.

"Tsuna, that's a stupid thing you did," Lambo said bluntly. "And that human is also stupid for offering."

Hayato didn't even berate Lambo for calling their boss stupid for he thought the same as well (while mentally asking to be forgiven for thinking such a thing). "Why did you do that Juudaime? You vowed that you would never Feed on a human again!"

Ryohei, apparently, couldn't get past one little tidbit. "Hibari actually offered _himself_? To _you_? Without question?" he stated incredulously. His incredulousness was understandable though seeing as the prefect wouldn't do such a thing unless he got something out of it. And having his blood sucked by a vampire definitely had no perks for him (or so Ryohei thought).

A smattering of pink stained Tsuna's nose and cheeks as he thought back a few years. He never really told anyone but aside from the disgust he felt from Feeding on a helpless human, there was another reason why he vowed never to do it again. The first time he had willingly Fed on a human resulted in the same way he had Fed on Kyouya. It gave him a lot of embarrassing thoughts and insecurities and afterwards he had "The Talk" from both his father and his tutor which traumatized him slightly because instead of being completely technical and professional, they decided to regale him of their conquests from their younger days.

Needless to say, he couldn't look his father or his tutor in the eye for months after that and he vowed never to Feed from a human again.

But last night had been different. Instead of being embarrassed or horrified at assaulting the older teen, Tsuna had felt excited behind his calm mask. Seeing the prefect so uninhibited gave him a sense of accomplishment that he didn't truly understand. And just recalling the human's flushed face in the throes of pleasure sent a pleasant tingle up his spine.

And he didn't know why he felt that way.

"Tsuna," Lambo spoke up, gaining the pureblood's attention. "Did you actually _want_ to Feed on that Hibari guy?"

The flush on Tsuna's face was all the confirmation he needed.

Hayato was blinking furiously in confusion. "Juudaime, you _wanted_ to Feed on him? Why?"

Getting a little irritated now, Tsuna snapped, "Oh, don't tell me you guys didn't want to either! His blood was practically singing to me! Didn't you smell his blood?"

Ryohei put on a thoughtful expression and then shrugged. "I could smell it of course, but though it was tempting it didn't smell any different from anyone else's."

Tsuna gaped in disbelief as Lambo and Hayato nodded in agreement. "Th-Then… why is it that even when I'm not thirsty his blood seems to tempt me to the point of succumbing into bloodlust? I don't get it…"

The vampire subordinates exchanged glances again (that still really annoyed Tsuna) and Ryohei said with another shrug, "Maybe it's a pureblood thing."

Tsuna shook his head. "I've never heard of anything like this in the pureblood circle," he said.

"This is suspicious," Hayato mumbled, putting a hand on his chin in a thinking pose. "Maybe that Hibari put a spell on you!"

Lambo lightly smacked the silver-haired vampire on the back of the head. "Stupidera, Hibari's a human. He can't do such a thing."

Hayato growled in irritation but refrained from snapping back at his fellow subordinate due to Tsuna's pointed glare. "Well what's your theory? That Juudaime's actually attracted to him?" he said sarcastically, not really serious about his statement.

But that statement was like a bomb on Tsuna's mind.

Him? Attracted to Kyouya? Well, yes, the prefect was a handsome fellow (even more so when he was aroused– oh God stop thinking about that Tsuna!) and, of course, Tsuna was attracted to his blood, but was he really attracted to the person behind the violence and discipline?

He couldn't answer that question. Not now. It was just too confusing.

"Oi, Tsuna, you all right?" Ryohei asked, the first to notice that Tsuna had paled alarmingly. "You look like you just had another training session with Reborn-san."

It seemed impossible, but Tsuna paled even more at the mention of his training sessions with his sadistic tutor (that's a lot of trauma there). Lambo and Hayato were able to pull away from their quiet bickering (a rare thing, but not impossible) to notice that Tsuna seemed more then a little out of it as well.

"Juudaime, do you need something for your stomach? Medicine? Green tea?" Hayato asked, eager to please his boss.

"N-No," Tsuna said, waving a hand at the silver-haired vampire. "I think… I think I'll just go back home. I need to lay down and think… or sleep… or something…" He stood up a little shakily, but headed towards the café doors in a calm stride, not really noticing his subordinates nearly scrambling after him.

He needed to think.

And he wasn't sure he was going to completely like what he was going to think about.

* * *

The quiet clacking of computer keys and the hum of numerous CPU's and computer monitors that sat on the floor echoed through the dark and tiny apartment. A blond man with lazy green eyes and wearing a green jumpsuit sat in front of the humming machines, busily typing away on the keyboard that sat on his lap and two others in front of him. What he was actually doing was anyone's guess – the programming codes on the monitors were much too foreign for any normal programmer – but it seemed that doing such a thing was second nature to the man. He never paused in his typing and his eyes moved swiftly over each code.

After a few minutes, the man – whose name was Spanner – stopped typing, seemingly satisfied with the codes. He let out a tired sigh, rolled his neck and shoulders to relieve some tension, then reached into his pocket and took out a blue lollipop that seemed to be shaped like a wrench. He removed the plastic covering, stuck the sweet into his mouth, then twisted his torso around to check on the other resident of the apartment.

Sitting in a corner, half propped against the wall with his arms clutching the hem of his t-shirt as if he was in the middle of taking it off, was a redheaded man wearing glasses that now sat lopsided on his face due to his position. He seemed to be sleeping despite his uncomfortable position, but Spanner knew that it was just his companion's strange ability of being able to fall asleep in any position and on any surface. He had once even seen the redhead sleeping on a pile of robot parts that could not have been comfortable in any way whatsoever.

Sighing again, Spanner set aside the keyboard on his lap and stood up to approach his friend. He placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder and shook him gently, saying, "Shouichi, wake up," in a low, murmuring tone of voice.

Shouichi kept on sleeping, though he did adjust his position slightly with a mumble. Spanner ran a gloved hand through his blond hair, feeling a little exasperated towards his friend, but he didn't give up. Instead of waking the redhead gently like he wanted to, Spanner just kicked Shouichi over, letting him fall to the ground and therefore jolting him awake.

"Oh, what time is it?" Shouichi asked through his yawn, not even irked at his friend's unconventional waking method. He was used to it after all.

"Nearly midnight," Spanner answered, peering down at the redhead. "I think we've been here long enough. It's time to move again. It'll still take us another few days to reach Sicily."

Shouichi nodded mechanically as he adjusted his glasses but he was slowly looking attentive. After having escaped from the Millefiore, he and Spanner had been making their way towards Sicily, needing to get into Vongola territory for sanctuary. They were both traitors to the Millefiore for having helped the young Vongola heir escape from their prison, but neither regretted such a decision. Shouichi had been indirectly part of the Vongola anyway and Spanner, well, who knows why he wanted to leave.

Spanner returned to his computers, quickly typing something on the three keyboards, while Shouichi stood and stretched the kinks out of his body before he hurried around the apartment, gathering the things they needed for their travels. A couple more minutes passed in near silence.

"Finished?" Shouichi asked once he finished with his own task. A large backpack hung from his shoulders with another clutched in his hand.

"Just about," Spanner replied, fingers pressing on a few more keys before he positioned them to press five keys simultaneously. He did the same with the other two keyboards. "All right, I'm done. Let's go."

Hours later, when the two were far out of reach, the door to the apartment was broken down and men wearing white uniforms rushed in, weapons poised to attack. However nothing greeted them in the room aside from the computer monitors that were glowing blue and showed a little robot waving a sign at them.

The sign read, "Bye bye."

Not even a second later the computers exploded.

* * *

**A/N:** So, there you have it, chapter ten after a long wait! Hope it was satisfactory. I wanted it to be longer but I just didn't know how to continue it smoothly so I decided to end it after Shouichi and Spanner's scene. Ugh, I feel so incompetent… why do you guys still like me? Why?

*coughs* Yeah, uh, about the next chapter… I haven't even started writing it. God, I'm crap at this multi-chapter stuff! Maybe I should stick with oneshots or shit. But hopefully I'll get one or two more chapters out before the end of the year (or the world, whichever comes first ¬_¬). Again, why do you guys still like me?

Oh btw, there's a book/movie reference in this chapter. I wonder how many people can find it… Tell me in a review? Please? *pouty face*

* * *

**Omake:**

Tsuna stood in front of the mirror, eyes roaming over his figure. He might be a shy kind of guy, but that doesn't mean he couldn't admire himself. And damn, even he could admit that he looked pretty hot. Wild spiky hair, alluring brown eyes, smooth fair skin, and a slender figure that would make any woman envy him. He might look just a tad too feminine, but he still looked like a guy and even he could admit that he was attractive.

Smirking just a tiny bit, Tsuna lifted the hem of his shirt up, expecting to see the flat expanse of his stomach that had just a hint of abs. But when his stomach was exposed, he saw no abs. In fact, he was looking just a bit…

"Oh no, I've gone flabby!" Tsuna gasped, looking horrified as he poked his stomach.

A snort sounded from behind him and Tsuna adjusted his position in front of the mirror to see his lover sitting at the edge of the bed, looking ruffled and sleepy, but awake.

"You're not going flabby," Kyouya said, smothering a yawn.

"Yes I am!" Tsuna pouted, pinching his stomach. "Look at that! I blame all the feijoada we've been eating! You and your obsession with it…"

Kyouya sighed. "You're not getting flabby. You're just pregnant."

There was a moment of silence before… "Pregnant? What the hell do you mean that I'm pregnant?"

"When I took your virginity last week I impregnated you."

Tsuna blushed at the reminder but he still glared at his lover through the mirror. "In case you haven't noticed that night and every night after that, I am a _man_ with a _dick_ and _balls_! I can't get pregnant!"

"Sure you can. And now, you're carrying our half-human half-vampire baby."

"Wha-What?"

"You'll have a hard time carrying it though, since humans aren't strong enough to carry a hybrid baby. And the birth will be painful and you'll probably die from it, but I'll turn you into a vampire right after so don't worry."

"What the fuck?"

"Our baby will be very special. Seven days after its birth it will begin to talk already."

"Are you _drunk_?"

"And after seven years, it will already look like a seventeen year old."

"How is that even possible?"

"Also, your ex-boyfriend will imprint on our baby right away, though that kind of makes him a pedophile if you think about…"

"… Kyouya, don't panic but I'm taking you to the hospital. You need help. I think it's all the feijoada you ate."

"… Can we get some on the way? You might have cravings for it."

"Oh my God Kyouya, just shut up!"

(ROFLOL, more Twilight parody/bashing! It's so much fun! Btw, feijoada is a popular dish in Brazil for Tsuna and Kyouya were vacationing in Rio de Janeiro. See, a Breaking Dawn reference, even though I refuse to destroy my brain by watching it. Wikipedia rocks doesn't it? XD)


	11. Author's Note

Hello! Emo here with some potentially bad news.

So, it has come to my attention that my interest in this story has dwindled. No, not only dwindled; it's completely gone. Just flew out the window like a scared little bird seeing me for the first time.

I thought long and hard on what to do with this. Putting it up for adoption? Maybe. Not lose hope and try harder to churn out another chapter. Not happening.

Discontinue it?

Possible.

Very possible.

Now, before you start throwing rotten vegetables at me hear me out! It's not that I don't like my story anymore. Well, in some ways I do, but I still very much like the premise of it. Sure I started my first multi-chapter story with the cliche vampire premise, but that's why I like it. Because it was my first. Like how the song says... _First cut is the deepest._

Anyway, though I still have many ideas for this story, my motivation in writing it is gone. Whenever I try writing the next chapter, I draw up a blank. I barely even got the first sentence down.

There are a couple reasons for this actually. Some of you might know that I have obtained a Tumblr. Some of you might also know I am an avid Homestuck fan. If you don't know what Homestuck is, I'm just going to say that you should go to MS Paint Adventures dot com and go discover it yourself, but I shall say that the Homestuck fandom is _massive_.

I've read a lot of Homestuck fanfiction over at Archive of our Own and _plenty_ of them have Tumblrs which I like to lurk about in. It opened my eyes to several things. It showed me that the authors and/or artists of these stories work quite hard on them. It showed me that they even take _months_ to iron out the details of their worlds before even thinking about posting it. It showed me how woefully inadequate I was.

I want to be like those authors. I want to work on a world that's my own, one that's better than the vague one I have now. I want to develop my writing, to go farther in it, to try different genres than just fluffy romance comedies. I want my writing to have more feelings, more depth. I want my characters to be more... just more.

And that's why I'm thinking of discontinuing this story.

I hope that's okay for all of you. I know I have fans who want to see this story to reach its end, but I feel that's not going to happen. It makes me sad, but at the same time, it makes me feel better about myself, knowing that I have dedicated fans who genuinely like my work. Seeing each review and each favorite, each follow, makes my day brighter. I certainly hope you stick around to see new works that I will chug out.

In any case, I wouldn't want to leave you all hanging about this story. If you have any questions, I will answer them. I also have the final chapter written down from long ago, which I will post as a goodbye to this story. Please don't hesitate to satiate your curiosity. I will do my best to quench it like water does to a thirsty man. *smiles*

So, arrivederci minna-san~

For now. ;)


	12. Questions Answered?

So, I'm sure plenty of you are very curious on how my story would have gone if I had continued it. Well, fret no more, because here they are! Albeit not in story-format but don't look a gift horse in the mouth eh?

We left off with Tsuna's epiphany of his maybe-attraction to Kyouya (which, I admit, I could have handled better). He would be avoiding Kyouya for a few days, but still leaving meals in the kitchen for him, and then he suddenly pops up in the house, all smiles and warmth and Kyouya will just be too damn confused to even get angry properly. Maybe. He'll still threaten to bite Tsuna to death at least.

After that, I planned to do a few slice-of-life shenanigans before going to a scene where Genkishi is receiving a mission from Byakuran.

Cut to school. For some reason, Tsuna and the others stay after school for bit. I don't know, they just are and I want them to be. Genkishi arrives with a couple subordinates (maybe those like Iris or Gingerbread) and the battle starts right as the sun sets. It lasts into the night (how long into the night, I have no idea) and when it seems like they're getting overpowered.

But then, who comes to their rescue but Takeshi! Because in the two weeks he had been absent he was actually training with his vampire slayer of a dad. Fortunately he doesn't want to slay all vampires. Just those who try to hurt Hayato (huhuhu~).

So Takeshi battles Genkishi and he puts up a fair fight until Mr. Those-Eyesbrows-Are-Against-the-Rules starts using his illusions and we have YamamotoxWall happening (oh yeah, it's canon ;D).

Meanwhile, subordinates are defeated and only Genkishi's left but everyone's all tired out and Tsuna might still be feeling the effects of his pills (LOL that sounds wrong) and they nearly get beaten.

But suddenly KYOUYA!

Yup, Kyouya tries to save the day (where the hell has he been? I don't know o.o) and he kinda fails. Remember he's more or less a regular person here and he's going up against a vampire. Insert epic fight scene (which would probably be a bitch to do) and then Kyouya gets stabbed in the chest.

Cue Tsuna screaming Kyouya's name in despair.

Then cue Tsuna rage.

Then cue Genkishi's bloody death.

(Btw, I'm sorry, for shitty explanations but that's the best you're going to get out of me.)

Afterwards, Tsuna turns Kyouya into a vampire (yes! Of course that would happen!) by exchanging blood with him. That will make Kyouya his fledgling, his first ever, and they will eventually discover that they are bloodmates. Yeah, remember when it was stated that vampire blood taste disgusting to other vampires? That isn't the case with bloodmates. I'm pretty sure you can fill in the blanks (because I'm horrible and I didn't think this through).

Hm, all right, before we go on with the main plot I want to clear some things about Hayato's sub-plot. He was supposed to have run away from home because he hated his father (which is canon) but he then got picked up by a vampire gang when he was in America and was subsequently branded with a slave-like mark on his foot (the idea I got from the webcomic Teahouse). The slave-mark makes sure Hayato doesn't disobey his master, the boss of the vampire gang he was in, and putting those marks on people is actually that vampire's special power.

Anyway, Vongola Nono, Iemitsu, and Tsuna one day visited the gang's hideout to have a meeting with the boss because they were trespassing on Vongola's territory which is a big no-no. While there, Tsuna meets Hayato but Hayato doesn't know that Tsuna is the Vongola heir. All he knows is that there are very special guests in the house and he was to stay out of the way.

Hayato is irritated at Tsuna at first (like in canon) but he slowly warms up to the heir the longer they hang around. Hayato tells Tsuna his life story and Tsuna vaguely tells his. Then they part ways because Tsuna was called in for the meeting between the bosses.

The meeting doesn't turn out very well. The other boss - who I actually named Gregory Chevalier - had plans to try and overthrow the Vongola bosses. Naturally that won't turn out well because Gregory is a weak vampire despite being a boss of his own gang. He tries to fight the three bosses, but only fights Tsuna because Nono and Iemitsu thought it was a splendid idea to have Tsuna handle it on his own as a test (sadistic bastards). Of course, Tsuna beats Gregory and tries to have Gregory remove the mark on Hayato. Gregory refuses, which results in Tsuna killing him so that all the marks would disappear.

Oh, and Hayato conveniently watched the whole thing from behind a door that conveniently wasn't blown apart from the fight. Conveniently.

And that's how Hayato became Tsuna's first subordinate! Because Tsuna saved him from a life he loathed and showed him the light. Aww, Tsuna, you're just too kind. T~T

So, back to the main plot. A day after the fight in the school, Kyouya wakes from his transformation and finds himself VERY thirsty for blood. He nearly attacks the subordinates because he needs blood. Fortunately Tsuna was able to calm him down enough for him to drink out of a blood packet.

Once Kyouya had his fill, Tsuna tells him what it means to be a fledgling vampire, which includes having to stay with his sire for an indefinite amount of time. At first Kyouya refuses to go along with Tsuna's decision to go back to Italy, but reason gets hammered to him. After taking care of things in Namimori, Kyouya leaves with Tsuna and the others and they all head back to Italy.

This is where my plans for the story get a little vague and disjointed. I planned for a few filler chapters and I even had the crazy notion of sending them to a school that's akin to the academy in Vampire Knight. It's a school (which the name I haven't decided on yet) where both humans and vampires attend, but the vampires have special night classes where they learn about their history and their hierarchy.

This is also where I introduce my OC. Which probably wasn't a very good idea. Her name was going to be Yayoi though. LOL, see what I did there? I absolutely love that name. Anyway, she was going to be from the Philippines (though it wouldn't be outright stated) and she would be older than she looks. Also, though she will be a student at the academy, she will also be their vampire history teacher. She definitely won't be a Mary Sue though because I was planning on killing her off anyway. XD

Ah, about Byakuran. He has reasons he's going after Tsuna and all that. You see, I was going to make him just a power-hungry whore like he is in the animanga. But it changed... because I had the idea that he was to be a scorned lover.

Hundreds of years ago, Byakuran was once Giotto Vongola's secret lover. But because they were from rivals families, they couldn't be together publicly. One day Byakuran decides that he would give everything up, even his family, just to be with Giotto. But Giotto was hesitant. He loved his family and would do anything for them. In the end, Giotto gave Byakuran up for his family.

Heartbroken, Byakuran sank into depression that suddenly turned into anger when he got news of Giotto marrying and siring an heir for the Vongola family (note, only purebloods can have children and one can identify a pureblooded vampire by the color of their eyes, which would be orange). Suddenly filled with the need for revenge, Byakuran plotted to bring down the Vongola family, not only now, but in the generations to come.

He killed Giotto and his wife, though having to kill the one he loved broke him even more. Byakuran allowed the heir to live and lead the family only to kill him also. And he did the same with the next heir. And the next. And the next. All through the generations he killed each Vongola leader, careful not to leave any ties to him.

Through the years Byakuran developed his smiling, fox-like personality because of reasons that I haven't thought of yet. He then stumbled upon information of the Strongest Seven (Arcobaleno, duh) and the Trinisette and basically it's mirrored from the animanga where Byakuran wants the power and all that. Again, I haven't really thought this through.

Back to Tsuna and Kyouya. They will eventually figure out their feelings for each other and get together, though I think they would feel just a bit awkward, having really just met and all. I think it helped that I planned to do a chapter about a ball being thrown on Tsuna's birthday and have eligible young ladies flirting with the young heir, leading Kyouya to feel jealous.

Another idea of mine was to have Kyouya approach Yayoi and ask her advice on how to court Tsuna. I hope that would bring some laughs.

Really, to be honest, my build-up on the 1827 romance is very weak. Makes me sad... but I have hopes that I will improve.

So, the last battle against Byakuran would be something epic-ish. I won't actually be writing down the fighting. Most of it would be vague or not detailed much, but the subordinates will be fighting against the Funeral Wreaths.

I planned on Tsuna sacrificing himself by fighting Byakuran alone. Kyouya would want to follow, but he would be too banged up from his fight to actually go that far. He would pass out just as he heard Tsuna and Byakuran screaming out in pain.

When Kyouya wakes, he'll find himself back at the Vongola Manor. He'll be horribly confused and he'll hate that. He'll go looking for Tsuna, wanting to find out what happened. Here's the scene I wrote for it.

* * *

_Kyouya awoke disoriented, which, admittedly, wasn't the first in his lifetime. The light of the sun that peeked through the windows made his eyes burn and his head was pounding like no tomorrow. His body felt incredibly heavy and sore, like he had been run over by a steam roller, and he was perfectly content in laying in his soft, comfortable bed (it was obvious that he was laying in one) for the rest of the damn day or perhaps the week._

_But no. When the memories of the battle returned to him all of his fatigue was practically forgotten. Hurriedly rubbing his eyes free of sleep, Kyouya sat up in the bed, ignoring the angry protests of his sore muscles. Tsuna's reassuring orange eyes, soft smile, gentle touch, sweet lips from the goodbye kiss... it all came rushing back. And goddamn did he feel so worried and angry and absolutely afraid at that._

_Wanting to waste no more time, Kyouya slipped out of the bed, vaguely noting that someone had changed him into his favorite black pajamas (he hoped that it was Tsuna). He slightly staggered to the intricately carved oak door, placing a minutely shaking hand on the bronze handle before pushing it open and stepping out into the silent hallway._

_He was in Vongola Castle again. How he had arrived there, he hadn't the slightest idea, but he knew that if he followed that pull he felt in the back of his mind he would find his answer. He deserved an answer after all. His lover - his Tsuna - had just left him there, off to battle with that albino madman with no backup, with no one there to catch him if he fell. Once he was through biting the would-be herbivore to death for worrying him so much, he was going to show just how much he loves the ungrateful pureblood despite everything._

_Yes, that sounded like a good plan._

_Soon, that pull in Kyouya's mind brought him to a pair of double doors, also intricately designed like all the other damn doors in the castle. But this one was different. This one had the Vongola coat of arms carved into it and Kyouya could only guess that this was the boss' office, the one office that each Vongola head used in his (in the case of the eight boss, her) reign._

_Hesitantly, Kyouya lifted a hand to knock but he instantly berated himself for hesitating and promptly barged into the room without a second thought._

_He wasn't expecting to see everyone inside, all with weary faces and downcast eyes._

_Reborn was one of the few standing, leaning against the mahogany desk that sat in front of the curtained, ceiling-high windows. Kyouya suspected that it would be immensely disrespectful to actually sit in the plush-looking leather swivel chair that was tucked beneath it. He also noted the two piles of paperwork that sat on the desk, as if it was reminding everyone that it was there for a purpose and not just for show._

_Kyouya's icy gaze locked onto Reborn's steely one before they swept over the rest of the room, taking in everyone who was there. The Guardians sat on the couches in front of the desk, looking the most exhausted except for Mukuro who most probably used an illusion to keep his healthy facade up. On one side of the room stood the Varia, looking rather calm and serious; even Belphegor wasn't adorning his toothy grin while Lussuria's face was wiped free of that flirtacious smile (an unusual occurence) and Xanxus' and Squalo's were strangely free of any scowling. On the other side of the room was the rest of the family; namely Bianchi, little Fuuta, I-Pin, Haru, and Kyoko. Among them were the other Arcobaleno; Lal Mirch, Fon, Skull, and even Verde._

_It was strange to see these people gathered together, but Kyouya suspected that in a time of crisis even the most bitter of rivalries must be pulled to a halt._

_And that only made his worry increase._

_"So, you've finally awaken," Reborn said in that smooth, baritone voice of his once Kyouya had closed the door._

_"What happened?" Kyouya asked, eyes glancing at everyone in the room. Almost everyone refused to meet his gaze, either closing their eyes or looking elsewhere. Only Reborn met his eyes, knowing that Kyouya had the right to know of the situation that had befallen the Vongola famiglia._

_"It's only been a couple hours since the battle," Reborn said calmly. "Ten hours to be exact. You were the last to awaken for some unfathomable reason, but now that you're here, I'm going to have to repeat myself and try to break this gently to you despite myself."_

_Kyouya's profile had stiffened at Reborn's words. Was the hitman saying... what he thought was saying?_

_"Sawada Tsunayoshi is no longer capable of being the head of the Vongola," Reborn said without hesitation but there was a flash of uneasiness in his eyes which was qiuckly smothered and masked._

_There was a moment of silence as everyone braced themselves for the inevitable explosion._

_"What?!" Kyouya hissed, the single word almost echoing around the room like a dozen snakes. "Explain what you mean by incapable."_

_Reborn sighed. Well, he did try to break it gently. "I'm not saying that Tsuna is no longer in this world," he said and he saw Kyouya visibly relax, having thought of the worst case scenario. "But in his current state..." The hitman left the sentence hanging, not knowing how to put this situation into words._

_"What happened?" Kyouya pressed, his usual scowl in place but more intense and laced with that look of worry he only held for Tsuna. Reborn glanced around the room at the other occupants, subtly looking for support. He got a few glances back at him, a confidant nod from Bianchi and supportive looks from the Guardians and company. Sighing, Reborn pushed himself off of the mahogany desk and gestured for Kyouya to follow him as he walked over to a particularly large bookcase off to the side._

_"It'll be easier if I show you," the hitman said, raising a hand to pull back a certain book that opened a secret door in the bookcase (horribly cliched, but it works)._

* * *

What Reborn shows Kyouya is an underground room where Tsuna is encased in crystallized Sky flames (think Xanxus being frozen). It's the result of what Tsuna had to do to defeat Byakuran (again, I did not think it through) and there is no way to free him of his prison. Kyouya will protest but he will eventually accept it and make a vow to wait for Tsuna, even if it's for eternity.

Some additional ideas... I was planning on having the Shimon family do a cameo as a family of werewolves who use Earth flames. They have the ability to shapeshift into a wolfe - as in an actual wolf - but on nights of the full moon they are forced into their wolf-beast forms. Also, I debated on whether or not Nana should be a vampire, but in the end I actually made her Tsuna's stepmother. Tsuna's real mother is a pureblood vampire who had an arranged marriage with Iemitsu, but died while giving birth to Tsuna.

Hm... *thinks real hard* I think that's all the ideas I had for this story. If there's anything else you want to know about, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll answer to the best of my ability!

I am also very grateful for your understanding. It was a tough for me to decide to discontinue this. It was like ripping out my heart and soul. But I really do want to move on to greater things. It's quite bittersweet for me.

Next chapter will be a the final chapter that I had written beforehand. It's not exactly finished, but it's close to. I'm not really going to finish it though, but I'll tell you what I planned so don't worry.

Oh, and I hope you noticed the book image! It was drawn by a friend of mine named WhitePulse. Just one of my many parting gifts for you all! Hope you like it! :)


	13. Final Chapter

**A/N:** Here is the final chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

**Final Chapter:**

**Epilogue: For Eternity**

* * *

The wind felt good. It roared in his ears and rammed onto his body, causing his hair and long black coat to billow wildly behind him. He had always loved to fly. Flying was freedom; no boundaries, no limits, and no complications. It was nothing but the sky, the ground, and him, shooting through the air above the city like a falling star.

And he wasn't using his flames either, like he used to do. Why would he waste energy when he was standing on a perfectly good hover disc that was vaguely in the shape of a butterfly? And it wasn't those cheap kinds of discs that can only go a meager ten miles an hour in the city. No, this hover disc was specially made, able to bring him up at least thirty stories instead of the standard ten and went a smooth fifty miles an hour. Sometimes he was just foolish enough to be ecstatic about his status in the world's most powerful vampire family.

Blue-grey eyes scanned the brightly lit city below him, taking in every hover car that lined the highways and streets, the crowds of people both walking and using hover discs, the neon lights, and brightness of it all, a bit searing to the eyes but eye-catching all the same. Namimori never ceased to amaze him; even after a hundred years and the flocking of even more herbivores to what used to be a quaint city, it still held its grandeur, its beauty. And in that century, mankind certainly had taken a dramatic turn where science fiction became science fact all because of the Vongola family, who decided to poke an arm out of the shadows and show their intelligence to the world (though not revealing what they actually were). Following the family's example, other families began to contribute their technological marvels to the humans, their combined efforts finally making way for a future that had only been seen in movies and other forms of visual media.

A booted foot shifted on the hover disc's platform, lightly pressing on a pressure activated button and causing the piece of technology to lose altitude. Another shift of the foot resulted in the disc to slow down considerably until it hovered a couple feet above the smooth rooftop of a building that was entirely constructed out of a new type of metal that vampire scientists had concocted with their brilliant minds. With no hesitation, the dark-clothed man jumped down from the hover disc, landing softly on the rooftop, and then he snapped his fingers, resulting in the hover disc to lose its power and fold into itself, dropping into a pale, outstretched hand. When folded, hover discs were oval-shaped and about the size of a serving tray, easy to carry and very popular with the younglings these days.

Letting a small sigh escape his lips, Kyouya walked over to the edge of the roof, propping the disc upon the low wall as he gazed down at the crowded streets once again. He didn't really need to anymore, but the habit of patrolling the city would never leave him. He had to look out for it, even when it could already look out for itself. It was probably only a hobby now, flitting through the streets and beating up those who dared imposed on his law. Sure his name wasn't as well known anymore as he wanted it to, but he now went by a new name, something that he was sure would stick like gum on people's shoes.

With his enhanced hearing, he heard a shrill scream that couldn't be heard by a normal person over the noises of the streets. Feeling his instincts kicking in, Kyouya swiftly turned on his heel and ran towards the direction of the scream, making a note to return for his hover disc. Jumping over rooftops with a speed faster than most animals on Earth, it didn't take him long to spot a young woman running through the alleyways in between the buildings, a group of five men chasing after her with leers and chuckles.

Kyouya released a small sigh again as he reached into a coat pocket and took out what seemed to be sunglasses. He slipped them onto his face then lightly tapped it on the side, activating a hidden button that caused small metal plates to eject from the edges of the sunglasses, forming a mask around his eyes. The mask itself took the form of black wings spread out, adding to his mysterious persona. Looking down again, he saw that the group of lechers was catching up with the running woman. He quickly produced his tonfa and jumped off of the roof, rippling through the air and gradually releasing his flame through his tonfa so that he could silently fly over the group of herbivores. Not a couple seconds later, the woman had turned a corner and came upon a dead end. Her luck wasn't all that good, was it?

"No need to be afraid," the vampire heard one of the men say as the group advanced towards the panting woman, their own breaths just as heavy.

"Leave me alone perverts!" the woman said, clutching her handbag to her chest. Her glare was defiant, but her body betrayed that defiance by shaking in fear. It was admirable, but it also made Kyouya snort at the woman's naiveté.

However it seemed that the gang was amused by the woman's words for they howled loudly like a pack of wild dogs. "I like a feisty one!" exclaimed one man and Kyouya made a face of disgust.

One of the men lunged at the woman, grabbing her arm and causing the handbag to fall to the ground with a thud. The woman screamed and protested as her other arm was held in a tight grip as well, limiting her movement. The men cackled and neared the woman, their eyes gleaming with undisguised perversion. It sickened Kyouya so much that he ceased releasing his flames through his tonfas and promptly dropped through the air, his feet landing on a man who was unlucky enough to be standing beneath him.

There was a sickening crunch accompanied with a scream and noises of shock. Kyouya dug his heels into the back he was standing on, momentarily fascinated with the blood that pooled out on the ground from the man's head. His back was facing the rest of the group, who was staring at him with shocked expressions on their face. Then, one man bravely voiced out the one question that was floating through everyone's (excluding Kyouya's) head.

"Wh-Who the hell are you?!" he asked, trying to sound peeved.

Kyouya lifted his head up at the question and hopped off the man was he was standing on, causing the people behind him to flinch back in fright. He then slowly turned around, facing the humans whose faces were now written over with horror.

From their point of view, Kyouya was a tall man clad entirely in black, matching his crown of longish hair that was tied back in a small ponytail, and wore a mask that looked like a pair of spread out wings. The only thing that wasn't black was his pale skin that seemed to glow in the semi-darkness of the alley and the steel tonfa in his hands (very old school, but they still looked threatening). There was an air of authority and, quite possibly, annoyance surrounding him and they wondered if the air got colder around them.

"I-It's the B-Black Skylark!" one of the men stuttered out, obviously fearful.

The Black Skylark was a (supposed) urban legend in Namimori about a black-clad man who roamed the streets (and apparently skies), punishing those who were doing wrong. He was there for the smallest robberies to the biggest raids on drug dealers. Everyone knew of him and criminals were wary around the streets, not wanting to run into the vigilante. Naturally, the police wanted him arrested for taking justice into his own hands, but they were too weak to catch him and even if they did he would easily escape their grasp. They didn't know that the Black Skylark was way out of their league.

Without a word, Kyouya rushed towards the nearest man, bringing his tonfa up in an uppercut and catching him in the jaw. There was a crack as his jaw broke and then Kyouya lifted a leg to kick the man in the gut, sending him flying. The others were staring at his quick movements with wide eyes and their mouths hanging open, too shocked to move their muscles. Yet even if they did try to resist the black-clad man's attacks, they wouldn't stand a chance. At least Kyouya was holding back considerably, not wanting to actually kill the men. It was only their punishment for disturbing the peace of Namimori.

The other four men were dealt with just as easily, their bodies now lying mangled and bloody on the ground. Kyouya stood near one that was lying on his back, staring up at the sky with blank eyes and his face all bloody. Kyouya nonchalantly lifted a bloodied tonfa to his lips and licked off a dollop of blood, cringing a bit at the flavor. The blood was tainted and not very sweet so that cut off his chances for a snack.

"Th-Thank you," said a timid voice and Kyouya turned his head to look at the shaking woman who was standing a few feet away from him. She was staring at the ground but would glance up at him every millisecond, her eyes filled with awe and fright.

Turning to face front again, Kyouya said, "Go home," before he ignited his tonfa and flew upwards, ducking out of sight on a nearby rooftop, not looking back at the awestruck woman.

The night stretched on like this, with Kyouya punishing anyone who was stupid enough to commit a crime with him in the vicinity. It was around three in the morning when Kyouya returned for his hover disc, deciding that it was best that he headed home to rest before going to work the next day. Yes, contrary to popular belief, the Black Skylark wasn't a homeless deadbeat. He's actually the Chairman of the board of directors for Namimori Academy (which housed all levels of education from elementary to university) but even so he always went to the school to make sure no one broke any rules, just like his school days a hundred years ago.

"You were busy tonight."

Kyouya didn't even flinch when the voice spoke up. He had sensed the figure for a while now, but since he knew the fedora-wearing man, there was no need to raise the alarm against him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as Reborn stepped out of the shadows.

A smirk appeared on Reborn's face. "What, no heartfelt greeting? We haven't seen each other in years you know," said the older vampire, his voice light, conversational, and a tad wry.

"I sincerely wish that I haven't met you at all," Kyouya stated, tucking his hover disc beneath his arm.

Reborn chuckled. "You sound like a bitter old bat," he said, approaching the edge of the building and leaning against the low wall with his arms crossing upon his chest.

"What are you doing here?" Kyouya repeated his question though he had a feeling he knew why. He knew that Reborn only came into contact with him for emergencies or anything else important, though nothing serious has come up for the past couple of years. So what was his reason for coming now?

Sighing, Reborn reached a hand up and fingered his sideburn, the brim of his fedora (which never seemed out of style on him) casting a shadow over his eyes. "You know that the Vongola family can stand on its own even without a boss, but it can't be that way forever," he said, the seriousness evident in his voice. "We need a boss Hibari."

Kyouya turned to glare at Reborn. Even though the latter couldn't see it through the former's mask, he could feel that glare and it was a tad unnerving.

"He will awaken," Kyouya said through gritted teeth.

"Maybe," Reborn said. "But do you know when?"

Kyouya sighed, feeling exasperated. They had this conversation hundreds of times before already and the older vampire – and a majority of the family – still doubt their faith to their boss and his lover? They should believe that Tsuna will come back because that's what subordinates do; they trust their boss and give their loyalty whole-heartedly without question.

"It's been a century Hibari," he vaguely heard Reborn say. "The time for waiting is over and the time for moving on begins. We have a boss now, a man everyone approves of, even your fellow Guardians. He will be leading the family from now on."

Kyouya's eyes thinned in another sharp glare. They found a new boss without even consulting him? They went on and did such a thing without even hearing his thoughts on the matter? Why would they do that? Why would they betray Tsuna like that? And was this new boss even a pureblood? Was he even deserving of the title of the Vongola Family boss?

All these questions and more flitted through Kyouya's mind but he bit his tongue, steeling himself from voicing those questions. He didn't know why he was doing that though. Was he actually giving up on his lover? Was he slowly losing his grip on his hope? He couldn't be… he made a promise and he wasn't one to break promises. He just couldn't…

"Everyone will be meeting at the Vongola Castle in Sicily for the inheritance ceremony," Reborn said, snapping Kyouya out of his thoughts. "It will be held in two days, so you have to be there. You are part of the Vongola family after all and it will ruin our image if you don't come."

Kyouya said nothing, his lips tightening into a thin line, holding himself back from lashing out at the much more experienced vampire. If Reborn knew what he was thinking, then he was at least glad that the hitman wasn't saying anything about it. He didn't want to bring up trouble at a time like this.

Wordlessly, Kyouya activated his hover disc and agilely jumped onto the device, having no need for the railing that standard hover discs were required to have. "I expect you to be there Hibari," Reborn said but Kyouya refused to answer, only shifting his foot to press on the accelerator and shooting through the cold night.

He missed the smirk and gleam of mischief Reborn had in his eyes.

* * *

Namimori High School used to stand alone, proud and elegant in its own right, separated from her sister schools, Nami-sho, Nami-chuu, and Nami-dai. However when a new chairman for the board of directors was appointed many years ago, many things changed. Namimori Elementary, Middle School, High School, and University had merged and formed Namimori Academy, a school that accepted everyone with open arms, from the most brilliant of minds to the lowest of delinquents. Money was never a problem for Namimori Academy for it never seemed to run out and the tuition was fair despite it being a school of prestige. And even for those who did not have the money to get into the school, there were many scholarship programs that would make any student's dreams come true.

And even though it had nearly been a hundred years since its founding, Namimori Academy still stood at the top of the heap and it didn't look like it was going to go anywhere for a long while.

Kyouya felt a rush of pride as he stepped out of the car and gazed upon his wonderful school. The campus of the former Nami-dai from a century ago expanded to accommodate the plethora of students and buildings that were added, lined with lush trees that added to the calm scenery. The Academy itself was made up of four sections; elementary, middle school, high school, and university, located South, West, East, and North in the campus respectively with the dormitories right in the middle of the campus. The elementary, middle and high school all had three three-story buildings for the students and all had its own facilities which included a gymnasium and various sports fields that were fit for each level. The university was the largest of them all though, consisting of two five-story buildings where classes were held for every known course. The facilities included a small hospital for those taking Nursing and Caregiver, a hotel and restaurant for the Hotel and Restaurant Management students, a laboratory for the various sciences, a shooting range for the Criminology students, and more facilities for the other students.

Walking with grace towards the university building, Kyouya held a hand to his black necktie, subtly loosening it from his neck. He had always disliked neckties; it was like tying a noose around your neck, implying an early death. And he always wondered why he tied his necktie too tight; it was like he wanted to kill himself out of despair. However it was a good thing that these thoughts did not show on his face; it would prove problematic if the chairman of the board of directors for Namimori Academy had such suicidal-esque thoughts.

"Ohayo gozaimasu Hibari-san," said a group of students that the black-haired man passed by, riding along the moving walkways and bowing their respects at him. Kyouya regarded them for a millisecond before inclining his head slightly at them, briefly closing his eyes. The girls in the group blushed lightly at the recognition and they watched Kyouya's receding back, the walkway moving them towards wherever they were headed.

Before, Kyouya would've ignored the respect that was given to him, thinking that herbivores did not deserve his acknowledgment. However he had worked on his… sympathy… for a while now. It made him feel strange in both good and bad ways and it gave him unwanted attention from civilians (he himself wasn't even aware at how handsome he truly is or just how large his fan club grew), and yet, he felt that it was the least he could do for Tsuna since the younger had always wanted him to be more compassionate.

"Tetsu," Kyouya said, turning his head slightly to meet the younger man who was following him.

Grey eyes snapped up to meet his and a meek smile split the young, innocent face. "Hai, Hibari-san?" said twenty-five-year-old Kusakabe Tetsuo, Kyouya's personal assistant. He is the great-grandson of the vampire's former right-hand man, Kusakabe Tetsuya, but even though he had his great-grandfather's loyalty, honesty, and determination, he was quite shy and innocent for his age. He reminded Kyouya of Tsuna and despite Tetsuo's lack of physical resemblance to Tetsuya (he was about a head shorter then his ancestor, didn't sport a cleft chin, and his hair style was more normal), Kyouya always felt that his right-hand man was there at his side once again.

"What appointments do I have today?" Kyouya asked, facing front again as he continued walking towards the larger of the two university buildings, the young man just behind him.

"Well…" Tetsuo drawled, taking out what looked like a long rod about the size of a ballpoint pen. He clicked the top and it projected a holoscreen, showing various kinds of information, and with a light tap on the hologram, Tetsuo chose what he wanted to see. "You have meetings with Directors Chang and Sakuya, and then you're going to have to oversee the refurnishing of the dormitories. You also have that mission to France Gokudera-san assigned you, which he demands be done by the end of the month."

A flicker of annoyance shone on Kyouya's face. Just because Hayato was acting boss (along with Takeshi and Reborn) doesn't mean that he could boss the former prefect around and actually have the gall to _demand_ something from him! Well, Kyouya was going to fix Hayato's wagon real good.

"What time is my first appointment?"

"Eleven o'clock sir and right now it is nine."

"Good, that gives me plenty of time to go up to Dean Gokudera's office and give him a piece of my mind."

After three years of working with the older man, Tetsuo knew the signs of a pissed off Hibari Kyouya. Granted when he first started working as a personal assistant to the stoic but temperamental man, he was a bit thrown off at how cold Kyouya can get. However when he found out that their great-grandfathers knew each other, he quickly got more determined to know his boss and was pleasantly rewarded for his efforts. He was the one of few who knew the real Hibari Kyouya (though he didn't know that Kyouya was a vampire or that his great-grandfather's "close friend" that he was informed about was actually Kyouya himself).

The trek to the Dean's office was a rather lengthy one. They had to weave their way through university students and walk down long halls as well as take an elevator, but they were at the fifth floor in no time. Kyouya ordered Tetsuo to stay with the secretary who didn't protest in him walking into Hayato's office, whether or not the silver-haired man was busy.

Without even pressing the buzzer that announced his presence, Kyouya let himself in the office and was not entirely surprised to see Hayato and Takeshi in a compromising position on top of the former's glass desk. They were half-undressed, Hayato's red dress shirt hanging open while Takeshi's blue one was half-undone with his black necktie still hanging from his neck albeit loosely. Kyouya did not need to look further down to know that they were extremely bothered and not in the "bothered; annoyed; disturbed" kind of sense.

"Geez ya' bastard!" Hayato cried, nearly hitting his head on Takeshi's own cranium as he bolted into a sitting position, hands hurriedly clasping the buttons on his shirt. "Don't you know how to knock?!"

Ignoring the rhetorical question, Kyouya stepped into room, waiting for the automatic door to slide shut before he crossed his arms and leaned against it. "Don't you know how to lock a door?" he asked back, not reacting to the scathing glare from one of his Deans. "Also, it isn't very professional for someone of your status to be fooling around in his own office. I won't stand for that in _my_ school."

Hayato snorted as he straightened his tie once it was tied around his neck. "As if you wouldn't do the same if Juudaime was here..." he muttered before yelping in surprise when Takeshi nudged him – hard – in the side and crying out a "What?" towards his still mused-up lover.

Takeshi only gestured his head towards Kyouya who had yet to move away from the door. However they can both see how tense the other man's body was and how much whiter those knuckles on his hand became. It was somewhat taboo to mention Tsuna around Kyouya, but it was even more so when the latter was reminded that the former was not at his side any more. Hayato swallowed thickly; even though he was a man who insulted people he deemed annoying, absentmindedly mentioning Tsuna in front of Kyouya was a big no-no.

There was a silence where the air was thick with tension, both the Rain and Storm Guardian staring at their fellow Cloud Guardian with baited breath. Then Kyouya spoke.

"I'm not going," he said, emotionless eyes pointedly looking at the other two.

Hayato and Takeshi released their held in breath in unison, then Hayato did a double take. "Wait, what?" he said. "Not going where?"

"To the inheritance ceremony two days from now; I refuse to partake in it."

Shock flitted both Hayato's and Takeshi's face before the former spoke up. "But you _have_ to go! You're a Guardian and our boss-"

At that, Takeshi elbowed his lover in the ribs again and gave the silver-haired halfblood a warning look. Hayato only looked confused, but he then saw the look of utter hate on Kyouya's face which, of course, did not mean that the dark-haired man was happy. He was not happy indeed.

"I don't need to explain myself you to," Kyouya said as he pushed his body away from the door. "I just wanted to say that you should not expect me to attend. And I'm surprised that you actually accepted this new boss, Gokudera Hayato."

Hayato looked like he wanted to say something, something very important to the matter at hand, but he received a third nudge in the ribs from his lover. Takeshi's expression clearly told him to shut up before he said anything that would ruin their plan.

"It's hard not to," the silver-haired man only muttered, not looking at Kyouya who only raised an eyebrow.

Takeshi found it wise to speak up. "We understand what you're saying Hibari," he said, giving the other man a gentle smile. "But won't you reconsider? You just might find some surprising things if you attend."

Kyouya ignored his fellow guardian, only turning to open the door behind him. "Stop fooling around and get back to work Gokudera Hayato," he said as he stepped through the entryway and his profile was gone as the door slid shut.

There was a moment of silence in the office as Hayato and Takeshi stared at the closed door. Then Hayato broke the silence by sighing and reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose as if he was warding off an oncoming headache.

"Why does that man have to be so difficult?" he asked and Takeshi looked at him before grinning.

"He's just loyal to Tsuna, that's all," he said as if it explained everything.

"We're all loyal to Juudaime!" Hayato exclaimed exasperatedly. "But that bastard doesn't even _try_ to listen to us! And now he's going to miss one of the most important events in the alliance! He should be there!"

Takeshi's grin dimmed down to a gentle smile and he wrapped an arm around Hayato's shoulders in a calming matter. "Maa maa, we'll figure something out," he said, squeezing his lover affectionately. "Or rather _he'll_ figure something out. He always does."

A splash of red appeared on Hayato's cheeks. Even when he was alone with his significant other he was still not used to the affection he received from the Japanese man, even after a hundred years. "Yeah, I guess," he muttered, looking down at the carpeted floor and trying not to think about how safe he felt in Takeshi's arms or how musky his lover smelled like.

There was another moment of silence. Then;

"Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?"

"Ah! Yakyuu-baka, I'm supposed to go back to...!"

The rest of Hayato's sentence was drowned out by a low, guttural moan.

* * *

The next few days had Kyouya feeling agitated and paranoid (which he hid quite well by the way). Even though the inheritance ceremony had been held three days ago he had yet to receive any word from any of his fellow guardians. Hayato had taken leave from his duties as Dean of the Science department and he had not returned since he didn't specify how long he would be gone. Everyone else could as well been erased from the face of the Earth. Not even Tetsuo received any word since he was the one person anyone would contact if they couldn't contact Kyouya himself.

However that wasn't what made Kyouya feel agitated and paranoid. As a guardian he had a duty – a responsibility – to attend the inheritance ceremony (never mind the fact that he only felt those feelings out of his love for Tsuna). There was no excuse to miss it. And now that he did skip out on the most important event in the Vongola family he felt like a walking target. Not attending the ceremony was an utter show of disrespect and he expected men in black suits to jump out of him wherever he went (though he could easily beat those men to a pulp that wasn't really the point here).

What surprised Kyouya even more was that no one had approached him after that day he met with Hayato; no one else had tried to convince him to attend. He was expecting more people to show an effort; the other guardians, the other members of the family, hell even the Varia! Yet why did they just leave him alone after that?

Kyouya did not like feeling paranoid. It was just not like him.

On the morning of the second day after the inheritance ceremony was held, Kyouya woke up to find that he had fallen asleep on his desk covered in holographic "papers" which were, thankfully, all signed and ready to be delivered to their designated areas. Rubbing sleep and sand out of his eyes, Kyouya stretched and yawned widely, wincing a bit as the aches in his body were worked out. He ran a hand through his midnight black hair, removing his hair tie and combing out any minor tangles that his fingers encountered along the way. He debated on whether or not he should shower today, but seeing as he didn't the day before, he decided that he should.

Gathering the holograms and putting them in their respective holders, he stood up from his desk and headed towards his bedroom so that he could shower and change.

Half an hour later, feeling refreshed and more awake then he did upon awakening, Kyouya would be found in the kitchen fixing up some breakfast. Sticking a buttered bagel into his mouth, he sat down at the breakfast table and picked up the newspaper (which wasn't really "paper" seeing as holograms replaced them), eyes skimming over the front page where there seemed to be some sort of riot that occurred in some part of Western Asia just some days ago.

Not that Kyouya was interested. He only read the newspaper out of routine. What other herbivores did in other parts of the world didn't really matter to him.

After skimming the rest of the newspaper and finding nothing else of interest, Kyouya finished the rest of his breakfast and grabbed his suit jacket as well as his briefcase of holograms before leaving his chic apartment that was located in the more crowded parts of the city. He never really lived in that apartment since he hated crowding, but it was closer to the Academy then the house he had built just near the border of the city and besides, he disliked bringing paperwork home with him.

Kyouya took the elevator down to the lobby, detesting that he had to ride it with other herbivores but knowing that his old ways of intimidation wouldn't work well in this new modern society. Herbivores were still herbivores, but they weren't jellyfish. They still had backbones.

The drive to the Academy wasn't long, but Kyouya still felt annoyed at the traffic he encountered. Once he had parked his hovercraft in his designated area, he removed himself from the vehicle and made his way to the various offices of the school, passing along documents and discussing things that needed to be discussed. Being the Chairman might not require walking about the school the way he did, but it was his school and he could do whatever the damn hell he wanted. As a plus, this gave him an excuse to discipline the students he found that were breaking the rules. Old habits die hard after all.

It was nearing noon when Kyouya was decided he might as well have lunch. He still needed to eat after all and he remembered that there was a traditional ramen stand just down the street from the school. Making sure he had everything he needed on his person, Kyouya walked out of the campus and into the streets outside. It wasn't a long walk and once he appeared at the ramen stand, pushing aside the awning, he was greeted by the elderly man who ran it.

"Irasshaimasen!" said the man, grinning broadly at Kyouya who nodded in return. "What would you like to eat young man?"

"Beef," was Kyouya's simple reply and the old man nodded before going to work on his order.

Kyouya was handed a glass of water, which he drank gratefully, and he waited for his food, idly spinning a chopstick on his hand to occupy himself. His thoughts drifted to the inheritance ceremony, but he quickly shook it out of his head. There might be a new boss, but there was no way in hell that he was going to accept whoever it was. And besides, why did he have to accept this person? He was Tsuna's guardian, not this person's guardian! He did not need – nor desired – to follow this new person.

It was then that Kyouya sensed two familiar people standing behind him. They were not hostile, but he narrowed his eyes anyway because the pair annoyed him to no end.

"Yo Hibari!" said Takeshi as he appeared at Kyouya's right, plopping down on the stool.

"Hmph," was Hayato's only greeting as he took the stool on Kyouya's left.

"Herbivores," Kyouya said, being as civil as he could. "You're back."

"Yup!" Takeshi chirped happily with his trademark grin. "It was a long few days, but the ceremony went perfectly!"

"Without Hibari there to cause mayhem, of course it would go smoothly," Hayato commented dryly.

"But the boss really wanted to see you. He was really disappointed that you didn't come to the ceremony."

Kyouya's eyes narrowed at the mere mention of the new boss. "I have no desire to meet him," he said, snapping his chopsticks apart once his bowl of ramen was placed in front of him. "And if possible, I never want to meet him. Now leave so I can eat in peace."

Before Kyouya could even bring a mouthful of noodles into his mouth, he felt a hand clapping him on the back, no doubt coming from Takeshi.

"Don't be like that Hibari!" a grinning Takeshi said to a scowling Kyouya. "Boss is a really great guy! He only wants to get to know you better, after hearing what you've accomplished in the past."

"Hn," was Kyouya's only response before he dug into his meal. Normally he hated eating with people around to see him, but he was hungry enough to ignore his own insecurity. And besides, these two, however annoying and incompetent he thought them to be, had already witnesses him in two states of feeding, so it was nothing new to them.

Seeing that the Cloud Guardian was trying to avoid the matter, Hayato said, "You know you can't avoid this for much longer. You will meet boss eventually and when you do, I'm sure you'll accept him as easily as the rest of us did."

And suddenly, Kyouya didn't feel all that hungry. Setting aside his chopsticks and swallowing the mouthful of noodles he was chewing on, he pushed his bowl towards Takeshi (who took it with delight) and paid for his meal before turning around and leaving the ramen stand. Hayato watched him go, a small smirk on his lips.

"You think he'll catch up to Hibari?" Takeshi asked around a mouthful of noodles.

"Don't speak with your mouth full," Hayato reprimanded. "And yes, I'm sure he will." He smirked wider as he ordered his own bowl of ramen. "He's our boss after all and that bastard needs to see it."

* * *

"_Kyouya-san, do you know what the duty of the Cloud Guardian is?"_

"_Mm, can't say I do."_

"_It is said the Cloud Guardian is aloof and drifting. He protects the family from an independent point and can not be bound by anything."_

"_Is there a reason you're telling me this?"_

"_Well, you are my Cloud Guardian now and though you are aloof and drifting, I just wonder if where you're standing is really an independent point and if you really can't be bound by anything."_

"…"

"… _Gomen, I didn't mean to mock you or anything."_

"_No, you weren't. I was just thinking."_

"_Oh… then what are you thinking about?"_

"_That I don't want to be a part of your family and I have no desire to be."_

"…"

"_And I really am not bound by anything except my own whims and desires."_

"… _So what does that mean?"_

"…"

"_Kyouya-san?"_

"… _It means that my desire is to protect _you_ and only _you_. I don't care for the rest of your so-called family; as long as you're safe, then I feel that my duty is done."_

"_Really?"_

"_Mm. I stand independently because I will do anything to protect you, even if it means disobeying so-called orders. It just so happens that sometimes my actions protect the rest of the family as well, whether I like it or not."_

"_Then doesn't that mean you're bound to me?"_

"_Like I said, I am not bound by anything except my own desires… which happens to include you."_

"_Haha, you sure know how to twist words around Kyouya-san."_

"_Kyouya."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Drop the –san. I don't want to hear you call me that, Tsunayoshi."_

"… _Okay, Kyouya…"_

* * *

Kyouya opened his eyes and he found himself looking up through the leaves and branches of the tree he had been sleeping under. After the little talk he had with Hayato and Takeshi, he found himself entering a nearby park and falling asleep under a tree. As a result, he dreamed of a small conversation he and Tsuna had years ago. He had always had dreams of Tsuna, so it was nothing new, but he had completely forgotten that they even had that conversation. And looking back, he felt like that simple conversation was really meaningful for the both of them.

The Cloud Guardian spent a moment starting up through the canopy of leaves, mesmerized by the swaying and rustling and how the sunlight played through the gaps. Soon enough he got tired of watching the leaves. Sighing and lifting a hand to rub his eyes, Kyouya sat up and looked around. No one else was in the park, which was a good thing for him. Checking the watch that was strapped around his wrist, he saw that it was only a little past two pm, which was usual for his midday naps. After stifling a yawn, Kyouya heaved himself to his feet and brushed off his suit, glad that the material prevented grass stains.

Seeing that he had nothing else to do and that he already had his nap, Kyouya decided that he should head back to the academy. As he took off toward the park exit, he ran a hand through his dark hair, subsequently pulling off his hair tie and letting his tresses fall loose. The slight breeze played with his midnight black locks, letting it brush against his neck and shoulders, very nearly covering his face in a dark curtain. He ran a hand through his hair again, liking how soft it felt, and then he was pulling the long locks back and twisting his hair tie around, tying his hair tightly in place at the back of his head. He could never remember why he let his hair grow; whenever he thought of cutting it he always pushed the thought away for another day. And even when it grew down to his waist he could never cut it above his shoulders. It just felt right that it was a bit long.

The sun was warm on his profile as he walked along the path. His mind dove into past memories and fantasies that he had imagined. The longing that he had suppressed was now blooming in his chest and the void in his heart was now very prominent.

* * *

**A/N:** And that's all I wrote. The planned ending was for Tsuna to fall out of the sky right on top of Kyouya, mirroring their first meeting. And they live happily ever after? LOL it was more or less an open ending.

Oh and Tsuna would have long hair now. I like a long-haired Tsuna and Kyouya for some reason...

This chapter was inspired by a few futuristic anime, but mostly by Red Garden. Tsuna being encased in crystal for the past century was mostly inspired by Blood Plus.

Yeah... so, that's about it. This story is done. Over. No more. But I'll still accept any questions and I'll answer them to the best of my ability. Oh and don't forget to check out my blogs! Both on Tumblr. My personal blog is emotivegothika and my 1827 blog is clouds-and-skies. Drop me a line!

'Til my next story, tata~

EDIT: It has come to my attention that there was some confusion about who was the boss. So I'm here to rectify that.

Tsuna was the "new" boss. He somehow got freed of his prison. How? I haven't thought of it (neither did Akira-sama when it came to Xanxus...). The ones who were leading the Vongola family while Tsuna was imprisoned were the guardians, minus Kyouya and Mukuro and plus Reborn. Nono had been killed in one battle against Millefiore and so had Iemitsu (yes, I mentally killed him off. Bastard). The guardians were all faithful to Tsuna, believing that he would be freed one day. and they were right.

Kyouya wasn't informed of Tsuna being freed because Tsuna himself wanted to tell him. There were hints that it was Tsuna though, graciously given by Reborn, Hayato, and Takeshi. All this would have been explained by Tsuna if I had actually went and written it down.

Okay, there, done, I hope. Still open for questions though!


End file.
